Between Two Worlds
by Schnickledooger
Summary: Young Wolfram’s world is thrown into chaos when his uncle Waltorana attempts to gain his custody from Celi. It grows more hectic when he is kidnapped on top of that and now the stirrings of war are in the air. Brotherly love, defeating the bad guys, etc.
1. Uncle Comes Calling

**Disclaimer:** I do not own **Kyou Kara Maou**. Tomo Takabayashi does.

**Summary: **Young Wolfram's world is thrown into chaos when his uncle Waltorana attempts to gain his custody from Celi.

**Title: Between Two Worlds**

**Ch1. Uncle Comes Calling**

The bright sun beamed down its warm, golden rays upon the head of Wolfram vonBielefield, who was in the garden of Covenant Castle, viciously ripping off the heads of dandelions and imagining they were the ladies of the court, his mother's gossiping, busy-body friends, who had dared to pinch his cheeks until they were bruised, muss his hair until it was a untidy cowl, and attempted to squeeze the breath out of him when they had gone in for a suffocating hug, much like how one cuddles a pet dog.

The result of the ladies' actions, especially the hug, had not boded well for Wolfram's temperament, which was rather short-lived. His oldest brother, Gwendal often remarked he had mood-swings as swift as lightning strikes and as violent as a volcanic eruption. Everyone in the castle knew it best not to upset the youngest son of the Demon Queen for the sake of their own well-being, not from any ruling authority but from the young prince himself. It was no secret that Wolfram possessed the fire element as his magic and used it to the extent of almost deranged enthusiasm.

There was no excuse. The court ladies really should have known better.

The servants and guards all agreed later on that the final conclusion of Wolfram vengefully setting the ladies' huge frilly dresses on fire and the women's hysterical shrieking with added over-dramatic actions such as fainting spells and theatrical tears caused more pandemonium than any of Anissina's Experiments of DOOM ever had. The ladies had wailed and carried on as if they were dying even when the last simmers of steam had ceased rising from the charred remains of their fine gowns.

"That horrid little beast!" one lady had managed to accuse through her histrionics. "He should be given a good thrashing!"

"_M-m-monster!" _another cried, trembling from either anger of fear, or perhaps both. "He should be punished severely! He almost killed us all!"

This statement seemed to remind the ladies that they were supposed to be in the midst of an exaggerated display of fits and proceeded where they had left off with their shrieking and tears.

Wolfram, having now finished uprooting and plucking off the heads of all the dandelions, moved onto the goldenrods, his face set in a sulking glare as he recalled his mother's words on the matter.

"Wolfram, baby, you can't just set people who upset you on fire," Celi said, looking terribly amused and trying desperately hard not to laugh.

"They're awful, ugly old crones!" Wolfram had declared boisterously so the ladies would hear him over their dramatic staging. "Why don't they all go back to the swamps they crawled out of?"

He had been sent to weed out the garden for that last proclamation although the ladies were insulted at their attacker receiving so light a punishment and demanded a more just retribution than that. Celi had attempted to mollify them, however Wolfram still managed to thumb his nose at them all and stick out his tongue before he was hastily escorted from their sight.

_I hope they all grow warts and turn into toads_, Wolfram thought maliciously as he non-too gently uprooted another goldenrod from the ground.

"What's this?" came a familiar voice suddenly. "My favorite nephew, a royal prince, weeding the garden like a commoner?"

"_Ojiiue!" _Wolfram exclaimed happily, leaping up and running to his uncle, flinging his arms around the man as far as they would go.

Waltorana smiled down upon his nephew who had buried his face into the front of his vest. The boy was getting taller. His head now came just above his stomach; the last time he had visited him, he was barely the height of his knee.

_He's growing up too quickly,_ Waltorana mused, his eyebrows furrowing slighty. _All the more reason for me to have returned when I have._

"Well, are you going to tell me the reason you were elbow deep in dirt or shall I dig up the story out of some servant like you were digging up those weeds?" Waltorana asked teasingly, placing a hand on his nephew's head.

Wolfram swiftly related his tale of horror to his uncle about the evil court ladies, their grabbing hands, how he had solved the problem with his element and his getting in trouble for it, watching as his uncle's face closely as his expression changed from amused to one he couldn't quite identify: somewhere between concerned and vexed, though not at him, persay.

"Your mother still keeps that pack of idle gossip-mongers about her then?" Waltorana inquired, his voice terse.

Wolfram nodded, wondering if it was too much to hope for that his uncle take his side and allow him the joy of burning the remains of the ladies' dresses and perhaps their hair as well.

"No doubt she lends an ear to their soft whisperings concerning how the kingdom could function best," Waltorana murmured, more to himself than to Wolfram.

"Are you going to stay a long while this time, Uncle?" Wolfram asked, not really understanding the meaning of the previous statement.

"Until a certain affair of mine has been settled," Waltorana responded, giving his nephew a long, full look, before redistributing his gaze to a place over Wolfram's shoulder, and his expression hardening.

Turning around, Wolfram saw Conrart standing beside one of the garden's short shrubs with a rather stoic countenance. Though he wasn't too sure, Wolfram often thought that his uncle didn't like Conrart for some reason. He supposed he must be imagining things, because his uncle seemed fine with Gwendal. He wasn't overly-friendly towards his oldest brother, but he at least respected him.

"Wolfram, mother says it's time for your swordsmanship lesson," Conrart addressed his younger brother, though his gaze never left Waltorana.

"Really?" Wolfram shouted, amazed and ecstatic.

As young as he was, he didn't get regular practice with a sword like his two older brothers. Sometimes, though, Celi would relent and let him train for a short while. What puzzled him though, was why his mother decided to do that today of all days, especially when he was supposed to "toil away the sins of his crimes" according to one of the ladies.

Now he was being offered a reward? Had Celi finally grown annoyed at them too?

"What about me weeding out the garden?" Wolfram asked, hesitating.

"Mother says forget it. You're to come with me and we'll spar. Mother wants to have a talk with Sir vonBielefield," Conrart said solemnly, before turning and walking away.

"Wolfram," his uncle spoke before he could follow. "You know humans are no good, right? Never trust one. They are full of lies and deceit."

"All right, Uncle," Wolfram said, staring at Waltorana's face, which was riddled with frown-lines. "I'll remember."

Wolfram hurried quickly to catch up with his brother, wondering why his uncle had chosen to bring up the topic of humans so suddenly and why Conrart's gait was so stiff and tense.

oOoOoOo

It had been an eventful and particularly good day for Wolfram. Not only had he flambéed some air-headed females, he had gotten to practice sword-fighting and his uncle had come for a visit! Wolfram was positively bursting with happiness as he swung his feet to and fro from his seat at the dining table, waiting for dinner.

"Guess what, Aniue?" Wolfram gushed excitedly as Gwendal joined him at the table. "Uncle Waltorana has come to visit me!"

"Yes, I know," Gwendal said tersely, his knuckles unconsciously clenching.

"I hope he brought me present," Wolfram voiced out loud. "Maybe a pony! Then I could go riding with you and Conrart without one of you carrying me."

Gwendal said nothing, and only pursed his lips tightly.

Conrart, who was already seated at the table, gazed worriedly at him and opened his mouth to speak, but halted when Celi and Waltorana entered the room.

Celi held herself in a very strained manner as she walked towards the table, her eyes hurling daggers at Waltorana as she sat in her chair. Waltorana, himself seemed taunt, however there was an air of superiority as he took a seat, as if he had gained the upper hand in some hidden matter.

The meal that evening consisted of silence except the dinging noises of silverware on plates and Wolfram's babbling chatter, oblivious to the thundercloud that loomed over the table.

"What would you say to me taking you to Bielefield for a while, Wolfram?" Waltorana asked his nephew, ignoring the sharp intake of breath from Celi.

"Really? Like a visit?" Wolfram inquired delighted. The day kept getting better and better!

"Yes, something like that," his uncle said, appearing pleased at his nephew's enthusiasm.

"Yay! I'd love to!" Wolfram cried joyfully, throwing his hands up in the air, spork and all.

"Well, perhaps when there's time, we'll see if a trip is available," Celi spoke up, her voice heavily laced with nettle.

"Oh, I have plenty of time, Cecile. Time's no issue for me. We could set out tomorrow," Waltorana said, sounding faintly amused.

"I was not referring to _you, _you insufferable intermeddler," Celi hissed as she tightened her grip on her wine-glass, her hand shaking with repressed rage. "As the Demon Queen, I have duties that are time-consuming and must be looked into before I dabble into things entertainment-wise."

"Strange," Waltorana stated as he neatly cut through his meat with one swift slide of his knife. "From what I've heard as news, your 'time-consuming duties' seem to have slipped into the hands of your brother, Stoffel, while you are known to throw lavish parties that sometimes last for days."

"You should not believe such ridiculous rumors!" Celi retorted, her face aflame with fury and embarrassment.

"But you did throw a party last week, Mother!" Wolfram piped in, beginning to see a bit of the tension that was clearly evident to the others and wanting to ease the discomfort somehow. "Remember that drunk baron who threw up in the punch bowl?"

"Quiet, Wolfram!" his mother snapped, but the damage had been done.

"Were you at this party, Wolfram?" his uncle inquired in a dangerously soft tone, no longer looking amused.

"I always go to Mother's parties," Wolfram said, puffing out his chest proudly. "Because I'm your escort, right, Mother? I'm the one who sends away all the people she doesn't want to talk to. I allowed to set _them_ on fire."

Wolfram blinked as he looked around the table not understanding family's different expressions. If Gwendal's frown grew any more deeper, it would certainly become a permanent impression; and Conrart's look of pain as if someone had kneed him in the gut worried the young boy. Celi, herself, was staring at Waltorana haughtily, as if daring him to say something. And his uncle seemed to be caught between shock and outrage.

Several long seconds passed, before Waltorana found his voice and when he spoke, it was in a firm, grim tone. "We discussed this matter earlier, Cecile. You gave me your word on the boy's proper upbringing and now am regretting on not coming sooner. I am leaving tomorrow and taking Wolfram with me."

Wolfram supposed at that moment, he should have realized something was terribly wrong, however it was not until his mother's next response that jolted him to the core of how serious the situation was.

"You, you-_WRETCH_!" Celi screamed at his uncle, jumping up and flinging her the contents of her wine-glass in his face.

"I do not know _what_ my poor late brother ever saw in the likes of you, Cecile vonSpitzveg!" Waltorana thundered, standing upright, running a napkin over his face and flinging it violently onto the table. "There's only one good thing that ever came out of your nuptial vows and that is Wolfram, and I will not stand by and watch him be corrupted by your misguided, sullied ideals!"

It was utter chaos in the next following minutes. Wolfram's memories of it later on were rather blurred. He was confused and frightened at the loud shouting his mother and uncle were doing and remembered bursting out into tears and asking them to stop, to which neither of them seemed to hear him. The next thing he knew, Conrart's arms had enveloped him and Wolfram had buried himself into the warmth and secure ness they offered. He recalled being carried out of the dining room quickly and seeing Gwendal's broad back as both his brothers hastened down the castle's hallways and corridors until they had reached their intended destination and had barricaded themselves inside. Then Conrart had held Wolfram until his younger brother's tears had run out.

"M-M-Mother's being m-mean to Ojiiue!" Wolfram wailed, lifting his puffy red face up from his brother's shirt.

"Your uncle's being pretty rude himself!" Gwendal retorted before he could stop himself, thus resulting in Wolfram throwing an intense temper tantrum.

The young boy may not have had any fluid left in eyes to cry, but his lungs proved themselves to be quite healthy as the room was swiftly filled with ear-piercing screams. Wolfram really had no idea why he was even throwing a tantrum. He was simply confused, worried and upset all at one time and released his emotions the only way he knew how.

When the boy's temperament grew to the extreme of having small flickering flames of fire flare-up around him, Conrart decided enough was enough.

"Stop it, Wolfram," his brother said in a no-nonsense manner. "This is Anissina's lab. You might accidentally start up one of her experiments."

Wolfram quickly halted his violent outburst and stared wide-eyed about their surroundings taking in the strange contraptions and odd-fangled gadgets strewn about the place at random.

"Why are we here?" he asked. "I thought Anuie said if anybody ever went into Anissina's lab they'd end up talking like a seal, sprouting chicken feathers and walking backwards for the rest of their lives."

Gwendal had the grace enough to blush and cleared his throat hastily, "Yes, well…I may have…exaggerated a bit. The point is, no one will dare set foot here, so we're safe until we think up a plan."

"A plan for what?" Wolfram questioned, his eyelids drooping slightly.

"Keeping you here with us and Mother where you belong and possibly finding a way to make your uncle disappear without raising questions," Gwendal stated. "Do you suppose Anissina has an invention could turn him into a slug?"

"Gwendal!" Conrart chided frowning and braced himself, half-expecting Wolfram to throw another tantrum, but the young boy was strangely quiet.

He thought Wolfram might have fallen asleep from all the past excitement until a small sad forlorn voice broke the air.

"Why are Uncle and Mother fighting? Is it because of me?"

"Your uncle doesn't think Mother is raising you up the right way, or rather, he thinks he can do a better job," Gwendal explained in a huff, folding his arms across his chest. "He's trying to gain your custody so you'll be in charge of your living conditions and upbringing. And his idea of the best way to rear you is to keep you as far way from Mother and us."

"T-T-That's not true, is it, Conrart?" Wolfram asked, his voice quaking in disbelief. "Uncle wouldn't do something that cruel, would he?"

Conrart turned his head away from his younger brother, not wanting to see those hurt green eyes, before he answered softly, "He doesn't think it's cruel, just something necessary."

"Liar!" Wolfram yelled, glaring up at him. "You don't like Ojiiue! You never did! That's probably why he doesn't like _you_!"

"WOLFRAM!" Gwendal barked out in a voice that sent chills up the young boy's spine. "There is no need to take your frustration out on Conrart! This is all your precious uncle's doing! Do you _want_ to live with him?"

When Wolfram failed to respond right away and seemed to find the floor entirely fascinating, Gwendal took offense.

"I see. So that's how it is," he said quietly, turning away in a disgusted manner.

The sound of Wolfram's sniffles echoed throughout the lab's four walls.

"That's not fair to ask him to choose, Gwendal," Conrart said, drawing his younger brother close. "He's just a child."

"Yes, he's just a child who knows hardly anything about life and is young enough to have other people's opinions and views easily influence the way he thinks. Do you really want him to grow up under Waltorana's teachings, Conrart? You of all people?" Gwendal asked almost accusingly.

Conrart's complexion turned rather pallid and he held Wolfram tighter.

"But there's no need to worry, is there?" he asked. "Mother is the Demon Queen. Surely her word is law. She won't let his uncle take him away."

Gwendal scoffed at such a proclamation and chuckled dryly, "Ha! Waltorana made one good point. Mother is Queen only in title. Uncle Stoffel is her puppet-master and her parenting skills are poorly lacking even though she does love us dearly. If he wants to take Wolfram and makes a strong enough case, he'll have every right to. After all, it's not as though he's a distant relative. Wolfram's father was his own brother."

"We can't…let him take Wolfram away."

Conrart's voice shook when he spoke, making Gwendal realize again how young his brother was, despite his older appearance due to his human genes. He was only a couple of decades older than Wolfram.

"We won't let him. I promise," Gwendal said, his expression relaxing as he knelt down beside his two younger brothers and encircled both of them in his arms. "We'll think of something."

The three brothers stayed in that tightly-knitted group the whole night, soothing their minds' anxious distress with the warmth and closeness of each others' bodies and a bond that they all shared-unwavering, unbroken-a bond of love.

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

**A/N: So, how many of you, after watching the second episode of Season 3 were captivated by the brief scene of Wolfram and his uncle and the strain it places upon Wolfram's relationship with his brothers? :raises hand: Me! Me! I can not wait for the third episode and hope I see more Waltorana in the future. Sorry if I got any facts wrong. I only watch the anime and lurk in the KKM LJ comms so I will understand and know anything not revealed in the show. Please review, tell me what you thought of my fic, and I love seeing you quote your favorite parts! Thank you! **


	2. Shinou's Decision

**Disclaimer:** I do not own **Kyou Kara Maou**. Tomo Takabayashi does.

**Summary: **Young Wolfram's world is thrown into chaos when his uncle Waltorana attempts to gain his custody from Celi.

**Title: Between Two Worlds**

**Ch.2 Shinou's Decision**

It wasn't the morning sun streaming in through the windows that awoke Gwendal vonVoltaire, but rather a series of continuous drips of a green liquid from the inside of an overturned beaker that rained down upon his head. Gwendal, once realizing he was in the direct path of vile concoction whose potential destruction knew no bounds, rolled himself out of the way with all haste. Once safely out of the reach of the doomed experiment, he glanced about for his brothers and found them on the floor, snoring softly, both still lost in the throes of sleep; Conrart's arms were wound protectively around Wolfram and his younger brother's head was nestled under Conrart's chin, his golden hair sticking out in unruly tufts every which way.

Gwendal ran a weary hand over his hand and sighed. He knew he had promised Conrart that they would find a way to keep Wolfram with them, however he could not think of any possible course of action they could take that would halt Waltorana's plans, short of kidnapping Wolfram themselves and locking him up in a tower until someone worthy of him came along.

_Actually, that's not a bad idea_, Gwendal mused, and was in the process of deciding just where the tower should be built and how there should be several dragons guarding the location, when Conrart finally stirred.

Blinking sleepily, the brown-haired boy gently extricated himself from Wolfram, whose hands were clenched fast in his shirt in an unrelenting grasp, as if the child had feared he would be ripped away in the night, and sat up, staring at his older brother.

"He's going to take him away today," Conrart said numbly, his face filled with an unsettling emptiness.

All of Gwendal's plans dissolved at that moment. Who was he kidding? A tower? Dragons? It was nothing but wishful daydreaming. The cold facts lay before them bare: Waltorana was not a man to be outwitted by childish schemes. He was going to take Wolfram away from them. This could be the last time they saw their little brother for a long while.

Or perhaps, not ever again…

The brothers' silent anguish seemed to seep throughout every available space in the room at being face with an obstacle they were unable to overcome.

"AHA!" Anissina crowed triumphantly, her blue eyes flashing wildly as she threw open the door to the lab and spotted the intruders inside, "I KNEW I'D FIND YOU HERE!"

"What do you want?" Gwendal snapped, not feeling up to any of the mazoku girl's crazy antics.

If it was true that this was the last time they were going to have with Wolfram, then he wanted to make time to say good-bye and create a few more pleasant memories for his youngest brother to carry with him to Bielefield.

That way, it would be more difficult for Wolfram to forget them…

"Did you know the entire castle is in an uproar looking for you three?" Anissina asked loftily, answering a question with a question, "Sir vonBielefield thinks you made off with his nephew in the night under Lady Celi's orders. Oh, it's not going good for her _at all_. He's accusing her of everything he can possibly throw at her, right down from kidnapping and assault up to negligence against the kingdom. It's a pity too, right when Ulrike sent word that nothing disturbing the balance of the castle and kingdom could be done without first consorting the Great One."

"You mean Waltorana doesn't have the authority to take Wolfram away then?" Conrart pressed eagerly, his heart racing.

"Well, not at the present moment. Not until you travel to the temple and find out what His Majesty Shinou's decision on the matter is. However, if you don't appear with Wolfram soon, that little blessing won't be on your side much longer," Anissina explained with a flip of her red twin pony-tails.

For the first time since Waltorana had declared the terrible statement of taking their brother away, Gwendal felt the first stirrings of hope rise in his heart. Perhaps there was still a chance to keep Wolfram after all! Locking gazes with Conrart, he saw the same thought openly on his brother's face.

"Wake him up and let's hurry back to Mother," Gwendal said, nodding to Wolfram, who was curled up on the floor, smiling blissfully at something in his dreams, a picture of perfect contentedness.

"Wolfram, Wolfram," Conrart called his little brother's name, shaking his shoulder gently.

The blissful smile on the young boy's face turned into a downward pout as his eyebrows furrowed, however Wolfram did not budge an inch from where he lay, a clear sign that he was desperately clinging to the last vestiges of sleep and did not want to be disturbed in any way.

"Wolfram," Conrart tried again, shaking his brother's shoulder a little more firmly.

The small blond not even bothering to open his eyes, wrinkled up his nose and gave an almost inaudible warning growl from the back of his throat.

Conrart refrained from trying to wake Wolfram up at that. The brothers were all too aware of the fact that Wolfram was most definitely _not_ a morning person, and liked to lounge in his bed as long as possible before he came down for breakfast, if he managed to make it to breakfast at all. It didn't matter how early he was sent to bed; he still woke up with the idea that noon time was the crack of dawn. Celi thought it was rather cute. She called him her little "slug-a-bug" and often got him up herself each morning, since there was no one else brave enough to try. Wolfram was the quite the little horror when he was woken up not of his own accord and for one so small, could deck out some nasty punches and well-aimed kicks and also possessed a ferocious set of baby teeth. Those who were lucky enough to escape injury from those attacks, did not survive being charbroiled to a crisp.

All in all, it was another unspoken rule in the Demon Castle: if you value your life, you do not wake up Lord Wolfram early in the morning.

Both Gwendal and Conrart knew this. It would have been amusing, Gwendal supposed as Conrart gazed at him helplessly at a loss at what to do, if there hadn't been a need for speed.

"For Shinou's sake, just carry him," Gwendal swore exasperated, walking over and reaching down to pick up his youngest brother from around to waist.

Wolfram had been patiently waiting for the next touch. As soon as Gwendal's hand made contact with him, the young boy's head snapped out without warning and had sunk his teeth viscously into the intruder of his rest.

Gwendal reeled backwards, roaring like an enraged lion and tried unsuccessfully to shake off his little brother's iron-clad jaws, and Wolfram, to his capability, hung on like a young, famished piranha.

"LET GO! LET GO, YOU BRAT!" Gwendal bellowed, taking hold of his brother's golden curls with his free hand and yanking at his head in an attempt to unfasten the sharp visors that way and only accomplished receiving a painful kick in-between his ribs by a small foot.

"Ooh! This is a great opportunity to discover if 'Stuck-On-You-Forever-kun' will work in reverse!" Anissina squealed in unadulterated glee as she snatched up one of many inventions litter across the room and held up near Gwendal's face, exhibiting his would-be death as what looked like a harmless jar of paste had it not been frothing and bubbling wickedly.

"KEEP THAT AWAY FROM ME!" Gwendal yelped in terror and as his hands were both full, hooked a leg behind Anissina's and swept her feet out from beneath her.

The mazoku girl toppled over with a surprised cry, knocking into the table and sending several inventions flying to floor. Stuck-On-You-Forever-Kun slipped out of her grasp and crashed into the one of the fallen experiments, the same green liquid in a beaker, which had woken Gwendal up.

The resulting explosion shook the entire castle and sent tremendous tremors throughout the length of the grounds right up to the castle gates themselves. When the servants and guards finally arrived and broken in the damaged door of the lab, four very-blackened, frizzy-haired, smoked young mazoku stumbled out coughing.

Celi and Waltorana arrived on the scene in time to see an extremely incensed Gwendal at last released from Wolfram's biting grip, whom the explosion had seemed to thoroughly wake up. The young child decided to proclaim his furious indignation at having his morning slumber ruined by howling unceremoniously to high heaven. Gwendal noted with some satisfaction that his brother's teeth had been dyed black from the blast.

"Wolfram-kun!" Celi cried, reaching for him, but Waltorana beat her to it.

"Wolfram, what happened?! Are you hurt?" Waltorana questioned, kneeling down and grasping his nephew's and checking to see if he had sustained any injuries.

"_O-O-Ojiiue!" _Wolfram wailed, throwing his arms around his uncle's neck, acting as if he had been horribly maimed and sucking his concern and worry for all it was worth.

Gwendal snarled inwardly at the sight. Didn't his brother even remember that Waltorana was trying to separate him from his family, his _real_ family? The enemy was supposed to be avoided, out-witted, not one to run straight into their arms!

"Is this how you raise children, Cecile?" Waltorana accused standing up with Wolfram tightly clinging to his chest, "Letting them run wild throughout the castle with no supervision, not knowing their whereabouts for hours on end, and only locating them by an explosion in which they could have been killed?"

Celi stared at her brother-in-law, mouthing soundlessly, quite at a loss of what to say.

"Oh, but Lord vonBielefield," Anissina piped up, in an attempt to explain, "Please, sir, it was my-"

"I can only hope that Shinou grants the right decision to be made, which is for me to take the boy as far as possible from your jeopardous clutches," Waltorana stated running over the mazoku girl's words as if she was not there, and walking briskly away.

Celi gave a strangled choking sound from deep within her throat and fled down the hallway in the opposite direction leaving her two oldest sons and their friend to ponder on to clean up the mess they had unwillingly created.

"So far, your plan isn't working well, Aniue," Conrart said seriously.

Gwendal gritted his teeth and forced down the urge to lash out and bite at something much like Wolfram had done. He was far too mature to be fall prey to that childish desire.

So he settled for giving Anissina's twin ponytails a good hard yank, relishing the sound of her startled squawking.

oOoOoOo

The carriage ride to Shinou's temple was rather subdued. Wolfram, now newly-clothed and soot-free sat in his uncle's lap and amused himself by making faces at his brothers seated opposite him with Celi. Gwendal smugly viewed that it appeared the boy's blackened teeth were going to remain so for quite some time. Waltorana seemed caught between the choice of who exactly he should glare so he resolved to frown at some point over all their heads. Conrart's mind was clearly elsewhere as his vacant gaze implied and Celi was making little sobbing cries into her handkerchief while her eyes flashed dangerously over to Waltorana's direction. It was quite the relief to all to leave each other's close company when they arrived at their destination.

The shrine maidens led them to the interior of Shinou's resting place where Ulrike waited, her long silver hair pooled around her feet, and her eyes wide and sad, as if asking for forgiveness.

"You have the answer already," Waltorana stated pretentiously, overly-confident that the news about to be announced would be in his favor.

Celi bit her lip and Gwendal and Conrart waited with bated breath.

"This is the will of His Majesty the Great One," Ulrike spoke, her small voice echoing around the shimmering walls of the tomb in a lost fashion, "That His Excellency Wolfram vonBielefield be given into the custody of his uncle, Waltorana vonBielefield-"

Conrart could not stop his outcry of dismay and Gwendal had to quell down his own sudden burst of panic. Celi herself, had collapsed to her knees on the floor and was trembling in consternation.

Gwendal resisted the compulsion to sock Waltorana directly in the face and knock the bastard's vainglorious smile off.

"_Only_," Ulrike added and everyone stilled, waiting for the remainder of the sentence, "If Her Majesty Cecile vonSpitzveg does not step up in her duties as Demon Queen as she should have been doing all along and only if she acts in a manner which His Majesty the Great One finds disapproving in her trial period."

"Trial period?"

Waltorana was no longer smiling. If anything, he competing with Gwendal for a deepening frown-line between his brow.

"His Majesty Shinou understands Lady Celi has been entirely attentive in her obligation as Demon Queen," Ulrike explained, "The Great One realizes that His Excellency Wolfram would be under better care and watch with his uncle Lord vonBielefield, however he deems it unfair that a child should be ripped away from the only family he has known without that family given a chance to redeem themselves. Lord vonBielefield may only take His Excellency Wolfram if the extenuating circumstances hereby proclaimed are a risk to the child's livelihood."

Waltorana looked positively infuriated, but Gwendal felt the beginning twinge of desire to fall down on his face and worship Shinou in full according for the first time in his life. The message was clear: their mother had best clean up her act and start acting like a real ruler, and if she slipped up under Lord vonBielefield's scrutinizing eye, he had full authority now to take his nephew and never look back twice.

"Do you accept these terms, Your Majesty Cecile vonSpitveg?" Ulrike asked as Shinou's mouthpiece.

"Yes, yes!" Celi sobbed, willing to agree to anything that would enable her to keep one of her beloved children.

"Then His Excellency Wolfram may reside under your care still unless you break the contract withheld in your trial period," Ulrike declared, giving a great sigh as if she had been released from some great pressure.

Celi embraced her youngest son tightly and smothered his face in her ample bosom, tell-tale signs of tears edging out of the corner of her eyes, clearly shaken at how close she had come to losing her child.

Gwendal met Conrart's gaze and nodded discreetly, able to read the unspoken message. Celi just might actually try to uphold her end of the bargain at becoming a better Demon Queen, however if she failed at that there was nothing they could do to help her. On the other instance of refining her parenting skills, her sons were not about to let her mess up. If needs be, they would make sure Wolfram was properly looked after. They would not give any leeway for his uncle take him to a distant land.

Waltorana had better beware.

Woe betide any person pompous enough to think he could disrupt their family and steal their little brother away.

Waltorana smiled scornfully at his nephew's two older brothers who were both staring challengingly at him. The aristocrat took off his hat and bowed mockingly at them.

_Oh, so it's a fight you want then, boys?_ He thought in his head, _Then let's soon unveil the victor. There's a prize to be won!_

**A/N: So, I just **_**had **_**to watch the 3****rd**** ep of Season 3 before I posted the next chapter! Mweee! More Wolfram/Waltorana interaction! X3 I must say, I **_**adore **_**Waltorana now. The vonBielefields sure have handsome genes, don't they? So, what did you think of this chapter? What did you like about it? Feel free to quote your favorite parts, express musings on what may happen and generally gush about whatever character you love: winks: Thank you for reading! Please review!**


	3. The Trouble With Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own Kyou Kara Maou

**Disclaimer:** I do not own **Kyou Kara Maou**. Tomo Takabayashi does.

**Summary: **Young Wolfram's world is thrown into chaos when his uncle Waltorana attempts to gain his custody from Celi.

**Title: Between Two Worlds**

**Ch3. The Trouble With Fire**

It had been only three days since his uncle had come to visit and already Wolfram vonBielefield found himself extremely annoyed. Not by his Ojiiue, no, by his_ brothers_. They had always been protective of him, but it seemed as if they were now taking it to an almost paranoid obsessive-ness. He couldn't go _anywhere _without one or both of them alongside him or non-discreetly following him. The only time they ever relinquished their stalking act was when he was in the presence of his uncle, which Wolfram thought strange, for they watched him like a hawk when their mother, herself, tended to him. Perhaps they simply didn't like Waltorana, something that depressed the young boy a good deal since he had often had entertained the notion of his uncle marrying his mother and becoming a permanent member of his family. It wasn't fair, he often speculated quite jealously, that others should have two parents, yet he and his brothers did not. In fact, fathers seemed to be something lacking in each boy's life. However, he seriously doubted his childish fantasy would come true. If he wasn't sure that Gwendal and Conrart didn't like his uncle, then he was absolutely certain that his Celi_ loathed_ Waltorana, and vica versa.

These were the thoughts racing around the young boy's mind as strolled down the western corridor of the Demon Castle listening to the soft footsteps of his pursuer behind him. Frowning, the young boy quickened his pace, turned the corner and streaked madly along the hallway, hurling himself into the one of the many rooms which occupied that level. Leaving the door open a crack, Wolfram pressed his eye to the narrow gap to view the identity of his stalker.

Conrart stood confused glancing down both directions which the hallway split with a worried look on his face. Finally, the the boy made a decision and hurried down the opposite way from where his little brother was hiding.

Wolfram closed the door giggling at his own cleverness and reveled in that emotion for a short while before the euphoria ran out. Before boredom could completely settle in, however, a commotion outside captured the boy's interest. Wandering over to the floor-length window, Wolfram peered through the glass down into the courtyard below to see his uncle Stoffel's carriage stopping in front of the castle's main stairway entrance.

Wolfram stuck out his tongue at his mother's brother as he climbed out of the coach, even though his uncle wasn't looking his way. Unlike his uncle Waltorana, Uncle Stoffel hardly paid him any special attention at all and merely viewed his youngest nephew as yet another annoying addition from his sister's many love conquests. Not only that, but he frequently made trips to the castle and was always making requests to his mother which sounded more like demands. Stoffel was a big bossy airhead!

Wolfram watched as his uncle's subordinate Raven, followed him out of the carriage. The black-haired man was always at Stoffel's side; the boy wasn't at all surprised. However, Wolfram did jolt back in shock as Raven reached out his hand and helped the next passenger step out: a person about his height and age with long curly light brown hair and big violet eyes…

"Wolfram!" came a voice from behind him suddenly and Wolfram yelped startled, whirling around.

"Wolfram, you shouldn't run off like that! You could have gotten hurt and no one would have known where you were to help!" Conrart admonished, his face a mixture of anger and fear as he walked over to where his little brother was standing and laid a hand on his shoulder as if to verify that he was really there.

Normally, Wolfram would have been irritated at such suffocating over-protectiveness and would have warned against such an act with one of his infamous temper tantrums, but the young boy's mind was otherwise occupied at the appearance of the newcomer.

"Conrart," he said without ever taking his eyes off the girl holding Raven's hand as she walked up the front stairs to the castle. "Who is that girl with Raven and Uncle Stoffel? I've never seen her before."

Conrart directed his gaze towards the figures on the steps.

"That's Lady Elizabeth," the boy answered. "She's Raven niece. He's fostering her."

"What does 'foster' mean?" Wolfram questioned, turning to face his brother as there was nothing now to look at, since the arrivals had gone inside their destination.

"Foster is when your parents leave you in the care of a guardian and let them raise you in the manner they chose. It's usually done to raise allies between the houses and families," Conrart replied and Wolfram blinked at the harshness in his brother's voice.

A heavy weight came to settle suddenly in the young boy's stomach.

"Is that what Uncle Waltorana wants Mother to do? Let him foster me?" Wolfram asked in a small quiet voice.

"No," Conrart stated bluntly. "That would mean Mother would still have legal rights over you. He wants full custody so there'll be no penalties of the law when he takes you to Bielefield and never allow you to see us."

"Ojiiue wouldn't do that!" Wolfram screamed, coming to his uncle's defense furiously.

"Why don't you ask him yourself then," Conrart said in an all-too calm tone of voice.

Wolfram scrunched his eyes shut and shook his head in denial, balling his hands into tight little fists as he stood miserably in front of window.

Conrart sighed, taking pity on his younger brother and rested a hand on top of the mop of blond hair comfortingly.

"Come on. Let's go down to the kitchens and have some tea and cake, all right?" he said softly, gently ruffling the boy's curls affectionately.

Wolfram nodded slowly and started his way out of the room without speaking.

Conrart narrowed his eyes as he turned his gaze back to the window and stared down at his uncle's carriage below. He would have to tell Gwendal about this.

He was sure it was no mere coincidence that Stoffel had shown up so unexpectedly at the same time Waltorana was visiting.

oOoOoOo

Wolfram wasn't too sure of what to think of the girl, Elizabeth. He had watched her across the table at dinner, hoping she would do or say something that he could reply to. There was a great shortage of children at the Demon Castle and the whole of the Great Demon Kingdom itself. Conrart was the closest person to Wolfram's age and even then, it was getting more and more difficult to play games with his little big brother everyday. It seemed Conart was not playing them because he enjoyed doing so, only that he was pleasing Wolfram, something which annoyed the young boy terribly. He wanted to have someone who was genuinely having fun!

This Elizabeth looked around his age. Maybe she wouldn't mind playing with him.

Even if she was a girl.

However, from what Wolfram had viewed of her, Elizabeth appeared pretty boring. She had sat quite primly in her chair and cut her food into perfect tiny pieces before chewing them delicately. She had said not a word and had not even looked up once she finished her meal, and merely stared at her hands in her lap.

All in all, she was picture of angelic perfection.

Wolfram crossed her off his list of potential candidates he deemed worthy to interact with him. He didn't have time to waste on a sissy like her.

The young boy frowned as his thoughts drifted from Elizabeth onto the rest of last night's events. Although, he wasn't quite sure of what happened, he did recall Uncle Waltorana say something to Stoffel that made him turn red and sputter indignantly. The next thing he knew, Stoffel had addressed his mother quite vehemently which had sent Celi into a verbal spar with both her brother and brother-in-law. He and Elizabeth had been ushered off to their rooms rather quickly by the maids.

Wolfram wished he understood adult vocabulary better. They used it to an unfair advantage around children too often.

Wolfram sighed, his shoulders drooping. It was now morning and breakfast had been a letdown. Celi had taken her meal in her room, refusing to see or hear from anyone until her mood had passed. Stoffel had been too busy having a conniption fit at losing his sister's ear for even a short while to even bother eating, and Waltorana had not turned up at all. It had just been him, his brothers and Elizabeth at the table and there had been hardly any conversation. Wolfram had been quite glad to escape the dining room and flee outside.

The young boy found himself trekking through the gardens yet again, and glanced behind him knowing one of his brothers was trailing him even though he couldn't see who it was. Wolfram scowled, straightened his shoulder and marched onward, determined to prove that he wasn't as helpless as he they thought he was. Why did they insist on treating him like a baby? He was more than capable of taking care of himself!

And then he was suddenly attacked by a flaming orange beast!

Wolfram shouted in surprise and alarm and fell backwards, his hands extended outward defensively. The boy curled up in a ball on the ground, covering his face with his hands, fearing to even look. Where were his brothers? Where were his mother and uncle? Why weren't they rushing to his rescue?!

Why…why wasn't he getting attacked?

There was loud laughter above his head as a shadow fell across him; laughter which sounded shrill and high…like a girl's.

"Boy, I can't believe you got so scared! What a wimp!" declared a voice above his head.

Wolfram peeked through his fingers and saw Elizabeth standing over him a satisfied smirk lingering on her face. The young boy's blood boiled angrily and he felt his face flush red in embarrassment.

"I AM NOT A WIMP!" he yelled, springing up from the ground and shaking his fist at the girl. "TAKE THAT BACK!"

"You are a wimp," Elizabeth restated, placing her hands confidently on her hips. "Any person who is afraid over their own element is a definitely a wimp!"

Wolfram blinked at her words, momentarily forgetting the slander against his name.

"You're…you're a fire elemental too?" he asked a little more than impressed.

From what little knowledge he had managed to remember from the Demon Castle's advisor and historian, Lord vonKrist, most mazokus possessed an element, the most common being Earth. There were a few uncommons such as Fire and then there was Water, a rare element indeed. So far, the only person he knew with an element was Gwendal who possessed Earth. Even Conrart didn't have one. But to actually meet someone who had the same contracted element as himself…well, this was quite an experience!

"Yes, I'm a fire elemental and I knew you were too the minute I saw you! What, you couldn't tell I was? Your wimpy-ness must be blocking your senses," Elizabeth said, pushing the insult again.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Wolfram howled furiously, doing a little dance of rage.

"No, you are a wimp," Elizabeth retorted. "I bet you can't even make a decent fireball!"

Wolfram had about had it with this girl and her know-it-all condescending attitude. He'd show her!

"I can so make a fireball! I can make lots of them! Look!" he exclaimed heatedly, snapping his fingers and summoning dozens of blazing firey orbs out of the air to hover above them.

"See?" Wolfram bragged swaggeringly.

"Not bad for a wimp. But can you make a fire lion yet?" Elizabeth inquired, clapping both hands together and drawing up energy enough to form a huge flaming cat behind her, burning with a brilliance of red, orange and yellow colors, and expulsing heat in torrid waves.

"Wow," Wolfram gaped in awe, letting the word slip through his mouth without thinking.

Then shaking his head to clear his mind, the boy narrowed his eyes.

"I can do that too! Just watch!" he proclaimed stoutly, copying the same motion he had seen Elizabeth doing with her hands.

Wolfram was very familiar with calling upon his element, perhaps a little too familiar for someone his age as he had often heard others tell his mother, however he was only used to summoning small balls of fire. He could probably summon a hundreds of them and never notice a flux in his power, but to summon so much fire at one time and mold it all into one massive form…Wolfram had never felt so much strain before!

The young boy bit his lip, feeling sweat break out across his forehead as he struggled to bend the fire elements into a bigger and more fierce-some lion than Elizabeth's. No girl was going to outdo him!

Elizabeth watched Wolfram's hands shaking at the intense strain and noted how pale his face had gone. Perhaps she shouldn't have goaded him so much, but he had annoyed her with his ignoring! Practicing her manners certainly hadn't impressed him. Her mother had been wrong in telling her that she must be a perfect lady to catch a gentleman's eye. It seemed the only real way to get attention from a boy was a physical assault. Well, it had worked, but now it looked like the stupid boy was going hurt himself at the rate he was going!

"You can stop now, wimp! I believe you!" Elizabeth cried, her hair whipping about her face as an unnatural wind picked up.

The fire elements merging into one above Wolfram certainly didn't seem to resemble a cat of any kind. Rather, they appeared to be forming one titan-sized burning sphere with red-hot tongues of flame shooting out and licking out at empty space hungrily.

Elizabeth felt the odd tug below her stomach and braced her feet against the ground so she would not answer the invisible pull the blazing giant fireball was drawing towards it. Her eyes widening, she glanced around her to see flowers, shrubs, and even small trees ripped up from their roots and sucked into swirling orb up ahead.

"_Stop! Stop! Wolfram, stop it!"_ she screamed in horror, realizing something had gone horribly wrong.

But Wolfram's concentration was far too focused on his summoning and the only response the girl received was the welcoming roar of the cataclysm above.

oOoOoOo

"Supreme Super Genius to Frowning Frump! Repeat! Supreme Super Genius to Frowning Frump! Do you copy?" the persistent voice spoke into Gwendal's ear through a small device called 'Hear-And-Be-Amazed-At-My-Voice-No-Matter-How-Far-Apart-kun'.

Gwendal's knuckles whitened as they clenched tightly around the railing on the Demon Castle's second level overlooking the gardens. Several veins sprang out across his forehead as the voice began again.

"Supreme Super Genius to Frowning Fr-"

"Shut up, Anissina," Gwendal growled into the handheld gadget that came along with 'Hear-And-Be-Amazed-At-My-Voice-No-Matter-How-Far-Apart-kun's earpiece and ground his teeth in irritation. "I can hear you just fine!"

"Supreme Super Genius to Frowning Frump," the voice replied. "Non-usage of code names is restricted! Waiting for confirmed sighting and report! Over!"

"Will you just put Conrart on the other side?" Gwendal hissed, giving the handheld gizmo his most fearsome Intense Silence and Grumpy Glare, even though it was an inanimate object.

_WHHFFFTT,_ went the static in 'Hear-And-Be-Amazed-At-My-Voice-No-Matter-How-Far-Apart-kun's earpiece before his younger brother's voice broke through.

"Smiling Swords Master to Frowning Frump, what's your position and status?"

"Oh, Shinou, Conrart, not you too!" Gwendal groaned, pressing the palm of his hand to his forehead in exasperation.

"Sorry, Aniue," Conrart's voice said sheepishly. "But the code-names sounded like fun!"

"It wasn't as easy to think up as yours though, Frowning Frump" Anissina's voice interrupted. "But nothing is never too difficult for the Supreme Super Genius! OHOHOHOHO!"

"Conrart, do me a favor and whack her a good one," Gwendal ordered, wishing he was there to do the act himself.

"Not on the left cheek now, Smiling Swords Master! I want to leave that option open for Frowning Frump when he grows up and becomes more cheerful! OHOHOHOHO!" Anissina laughed gleefully.

Gwendal felt his face heating up and was glad there was no one around to see his left eye spasm into twitches and his hands involuntary jump into knitting motions.

Dammit, where were his knitting needles when he needed them?!

"Gwendal, where's Wolfram? Can you still see him?" Conrart's voice questioned, politely evading Anissina's last remark.

"Yes, he's in the gardens," Gwendal said without looking, grateful that his younger brother was not one to join in teasing. "He ran into Elizabeth. They're trading insults and showing off their fire elements. They're going to be best friends before the day is out."

"Have you spoken to Mother yet?" Conrart asked abruptly.

"No, and it wouldn't matter when she's like this. Let her sulk for a while, all the good it will do her. She's just putting off the confrontation for a later date and stalling for time," Gwendal stated, unable to keep the disgust out of his voice.

Celi was their mother and her sons loved her, but her actions for dealing with important matters could be better done by a servant. No doubt, she had some childish notion that if she hid away for a short time, her unpleasant situation would vanish completely.

"Uncle Stoffel's here to make sure his control over her hasn't slipped, isn't he?"

"Yes, and perhaps to make sure Waltorana isn't making a grab at the throne for himself," Gwendal spoke daringly.

"Aniue, what-" Conrart sounded shocked to hear such a dangerous accusation coming from his brother's lips.

"Think about it," Gwendal said. "Everyone already knows Mother is unfit to rule. I don't care what Shinou's word is. If Mother keeps acting the way she does, the aristocrats are going to storm the temple and demand a new Maou. Waltorana is always boasting about how much Wolfram looks like Shinou, not too mention how proud he is over the fact that the Bielefields are cousins of the Great One. It may not just be familial concern that brought him here. If he plays his cards right, he can probably twist this whole situation to his advantage. Don't forget, if the new Maou is too young to rule for a while, he'll need a Regent…"

"Stop it, Gwendal!" Conrart's voice shouted, sounding panicked and distraught, his breathing coming over 'Hear-And-Be-Amazed-At-My-Voice-No-Matter-How-Far-Apart-kun' ragged and shaken.

Gwendal halted his treacherous tirade against Waltorana, taking pity on his younger brother, who obviously hadn't elaborated further on why Lord vonBielefield was fighting so viscously to gain custody of his nephew other than the reason of petty jealousy. But then, Conrart who had far too kind a heart, would never understand why people used others as pawns to succeed their goal.

"_Stop! Stop! Wolfram, stop it!"_ screamed a child's voice filled with horror.

Gwendal snapped his head towards to the gardens below, instinctively searching for his little brother, cursing inwardly at himself. He had gotten so involved with trying to convince someone else of Waltorana's premeditated schemes that he forgotten to keep an eye on what was important!

Wolfram wasn't hard to spot. He was easily recognizable: a small blond figure…directly beneath a blazing elliptical vortex already at so an immense size, it was a miracle it hadn't swallowed its own creator up yet.

'Hear-And-Be-Amazed-At-My-Voice-No-Matter-How-Far-Apart-kun's communicator slipped numbly from the mazoku's fingers and fell to the floor with a clatter.

"Gwendal, Gwendal, what's going on? Gwendal!" Conrart's voice exclaimed anxiously out of the receiver.

"_WOLFRAM!!" _Gwendal yelled terror-stricken at the ghastly sight.

The mazoku braced both hands on the railing and leapt over the side without a second thought, not caring the he was on the second floor. Nothing mattered.

Nothing mattered except getting to Wolfram.

Gwendal hit the ground hard and staggered at the rigid impact before rushing forward, one arm out reached towards his brother, and even then, he knew it was too late.

He could only watch helplessly as the fiery maelstrom finally broke completely free of Wolfram's control and inhaled its victory with one large surge of energy, picking up its nearest victims and sucking them towards its smoldering core.

Then like a star suddenly winking out of existence, the blazing vortex heaved a final mighty moan of disbelief before it folded inward on itself and scattered miniscule fire elements every which way, while the repellant force hurled back its would-be victims down to earth.

Elizabeth hit the charred remains of the garden grounds screaming in fright and lay there sobbing as violent tremors racked through her body.

There was a sickening _thud_ as Wolfram plowed head long into the dirt and lay unmoving.

Gwendal flung himself down beside him and enveloped his little brother in his arms, calling his name frantically.

"WOLFRAM! WOLFRAM!"

There was no response and the young boy remained unconscious with a deathly pallid color in his complexion.

Something made Gwendal look up and there he saw across the now destroyed gardens stood Waltorana, sweat shimmering on his face, one hand still raised with small flickering flames dancing around it, and looking far more furious and outraged than Gwendal had ever seen him.

oOoOoOo

"Thought you an immoral and negligent woman, I did. However, an utter _idiot_ never once crossed my mind!"

"How dare you call me such things! I will not stand here and listen to you accuse me-"

"I can accuse you to the fullest degree now, Cecile! You haven't had the boy properly trained in his elemental skills! Even an _infant _knows how to manipulate his own element! If I hadn't stumbled onto the malignant scene, you wouldn't even _have_ a third son anymore!"

"Wolfram was doing just fine with his summoning! I saw no need-"

"Summoning and manipulating are two entirely different fields! Oh, but of course, I forgot, the Great Demon Queen doesn't possess an element. She can't even hold on to her consorts for very long."

_SMACK!_

"DESPICABLE CREATURE! GET OUT!"

"You had better be glad that was the right cheek you slapped, Cecile. Any man who gets entangled with the likes of you is a fate I wouldn't wish on a dog."

"_GUARDS!!"_

"There's no need to rush into a fit of female hysterics. I'm leaving, but only until you clear you head enough to see the full picture. You can bring up your other two children however you like; it's far too late to save them from your influence. But Wolfram needs a father figure and a professional tutor for his elemental skills. I suggest you mull that over until the truth seeps into that empty head of yours. I'll be ready to return and take him to Bielefield at the moment's notice when you finally decide what's best for Wolfram and not for yourself!"

The sound of a door slamming and a woman sobbing was woke Wolfram vonBielefield up out from the warm darkness he was drifting in. His senses not fully awake, the young boy frowned at the amount aches and dizziness he was experiencing. His mind reeled wildly, trying to recall exactly why he was lying in bed when the sun was shining brightly outside the window in the room.

What was the last thing he remembered?

Oh, yes: walking through the gardens, Elizabeth and her fire lion…

Fire lion…

Had he made one? There seemed to be a gap in his memory from where he summoned the elements and then started to mold them together. He was drawing a large blank

A lady's crying brought him back to the present again.

Wolfram turned his head, wondering why he felt so tired at doing such a little motion, and viewed the person sitting in the chair next to his bed, her face buried in her hands and long blonde hair streaming across her shaking shoulders in wavy curls.

"Hahaue?" Wolfram asked hesitantly, not sure if he should bother her.

Celi looked up and managed to smile through her tears.

"Wolfram, darling!" she said softly, bending over him and planting a gentle kiss on his forehead. "How do you feel?"

"What happened, Hahaue? I feel so tired."

His mother said nothing for awhile, merely smoothing out the wrinkles in his sheets, before she finally spoke again in a quavering voice.

"W-Wolfram, honey, would you like…t-to stay w-with your uncle Waltorana for awhile?"

"Ojiiue?" Wolfram said, his eyes brightening as the corners of his mouth struggled to turn up. "Yeah, I'd like that! For how long though? Aniue's birthday is coming up. I don't want to miss it!"

Wolfram blinked in surprise as his mother reached down and embraced her youngest child as tightly as she could without fear of hurting him.

"Hahaue?' he whispered, not understanding why so many crystal teardrops kept trickling down her cheeks to drip onto his face below.

Straightening back up, Celi stared down at Wolfram's face, running her hands across every delicate feature on it as if trying to memorize it.

"You won't forget me, will you, Wol-chan?" his mother asked more to herself than to him. "No, no, of course not. You're too old not to remember. You'll come see me and your brothers again when you're of age, ne? Your uncle can't keep you away from us forever."

Wolfram felt the throes of sleep creeping back, threatening to draw him under again. The young boy fought to the best of his ability to stay awake.

There was…something he needed to ask…something….

"Hahaue, did I…make a fire lion? Was it…bigger than Elizabeth's?" Wolfram murmured, his eyelids drooping.

"Yes, Wolfram," Celi said softly. "It was the biggest, the best, most beautiful fire lion I have ever seen. I am so proud of you."

And the last thing Wolfram saw before blissful oblivion overtook him, was his mother's face smiling down upon him, still glistening with the vestiges of her tears.

**To Be Continued..**

* * *

**A/N: Oh, lawsy. I'm sorry for not updating sooner. But yeah, wow. (Rereads chapter). I meant for this one to be funny. The angstbunny kidnapped my muse.**

**My god, I think I nearly brought myself to tears at the end. And I probably butchered the whole elemental contract, but I only watch the anime, and everything is not crystal clear on that, so I used fanfiction allowances to my advantage. **

**Please don't hate Elizabeth. It wasn't her fault Wolfram got hurt. She had been trained and he hadn't. True, she was a little stinker here wasn't she though? Well, now you know where Wolfram learned his greatest insult from (at least in my version)! Hahaha!**

**There's more to come! Please review and shared which parts you enjoyed the most or what touched you. Thank you!**


	4. In a Sticky Predicament

**Disclaimer:** I do not own **Kyou Kara Maou**. Tomo Takabayashi does.

**Summary: **Young Wolfram's world is thrown into chaos when his uncle Waltorana attempts to gain his custody from Celi.

**Title: Between Two Worlds**

**Ch.4 In a Sticky Predicament**

Conrart gripped the bouquet he held in his hands firmly but gently and smiled softly down onto the assorted flowers: a dozen Beautiful Wolframs nestled among a few Celi's Red Sighs, Secretive Gwendals, and Conrart Standing Talls.

His little brother was such a narcissist, he thought fondly. If anything would make him feel better, it would certainly be seeing these flowers when he woke up.

The flowers which he had gathered together and managed to salvage from the storm-struck wreck that had once been the gardens…

He had been so afraid when had found out what had happened in the gardens. He had almost lost his little brother! What kind of life would that be like, with no big green eyes begging to be comforted or paid attention to, or gazing at him in adoring hero worship? No more tucking in and telling stories to a small energetic blond or waking him at night so they could both launch a sneak attack on an unsuspecting sleeping Gwendal. Who would he look after? Who else could need or he possibly share his protection with?

Conrart stopped right outside the door from his little brother's room and took a deep breath to calm himself. He didn't want to alarm Wolfram with looking worried or upset. He was here to verify for himself the report that his younger sibling was alive and recovering from his near-disaster with his element and possibly entertain Wolfram, who was no doubt probably throwing one of his infamous temper tantrums at having to stay in bed all day.

Finally regaining his composure, Conrart pushed open the door and entered, smiling broadly as he opened his mouth in greeting…

The words he had been about to utter died before they even made it to his throat and the bouquet he had so carefully picked slipped out of his numb grasp and fell to the floor, scattering loose flowers in its wake.

Conrart stared at the empty bed, completely devoid of anything: pillows, covers, sheets, but most especially, Wolfram.

Thoughts raced madly across the boy's mind. Why would Wolfram not be in his bed? Hadn't he been told that all his little brother needed was a period of rest to recuperate? Why was the bed stripped completely bare? Wasn't that only done when a person…died?

The room started to reel and tilt around him and Conrart's vision blurred as he started taking in short, panicked breaths.

A noise to his right shattered him out of frozen state and Conrart jerked his head towards the sound to view his mother seated in a rocking chair over by the window, her face turned as she gazed outside.

Celi had not sat in that rocking chair for over thirty years. It had only been used when she had nursed Wolfram as a baby.

"MOTHER!" Conrart exclaimed rushing over to her side. "Where's Wolfram?! Where is he?!"

Celi said nothing but continued to keep her vigil at the window, and the only sign of movement she made was the wild shaking of her hands as she clutched something tightly between them.

It was a stuffed animal: a badly deformed blue dragon, knitted by Gwendal for his newest little brother, blackened and ragged over the passage of time and Wolfram's rough horse-play.

It hadn't been that long ago, Wolfram couldn't get to sleep without his "Liesel".

"Mother, please," Conrart pleaded, kneeling down and placing his head on his mother's lap. "Where's Wolfram? Tell me."

Something warm and wet plopped down on his head and he looked up to see the traces of twin rivulets of tears from Celi's green eyes and the sparkling of unshed ones yet to come.

"Gone," Celi said, her gaze never leaving the view outside from the window, as she repeated herself. "Gone".

What did she mean by "gone", Conrart wondered, fear gnawing at him. Surely not…

"Conrart," came a voice from the doorway and the boy turned to see Gwendal standing in the threshold with a very odd expression upon his face: sadness and perhaps a bit of pity as well.

"Aniue," Conrart said, getting up from kneeling. "What's happened? Where's Wolfram? What does Mother mean he's 'gone'?"

"He's with Waltorana. They're heading back to Bielefeld now," Gwendal explained, his voice never once faltering from nonchalant tone he spoke in, although his knuckles has turned white from his hands gripping his arms which were crossed over his chest.

Conrart stared, unable to believe his own ears. It couldn't be true! Not when Celi had seemed so dead set against it and Shinou himself had declared that was the last option if the trial period he had graced their mother with had failed. Had Wolfram's perilous bungle with his element tipped the scales of the Great One's judgment? Or had Waltorana simply bullied his sister-in-law into giving in to what he wanted? No, their mother was not one to be intimidated by scare tactics, but what was the reasoning behind Celi's decision then?

"I brought this…on myself," came a soft whisper and Conrart turned to see his mother no longer gazing outside the window but staring with unfocused eyes at the space in front of her.

"Who…puts herself…before her own children?" Celi asked no one in particular. "Who is so blind not to notice when one of her children needs something other than toys and presents? I …have been selfish. So selfish…"

"Mother, you haven't selfish!" Conrart protested, placing his hands over one of hers, which clutched his little brother's stuffed animal. "You've been the best mother anyone ever had! How could you let Waltorana take Wolfram? He belongs here with us!"

"I…deserve this," Celi said, not appearing to hear what was said or even be aware of her surroundings. "I wasn't able to keep him from harm. I'm unable…to keep a lot of things from happening…"

Conrart suddenly realized that perhaps it wasn't just Wolfram his mother was talking about anymore.

"He'll be better off with his uncle," Celi said, speaking to the air again. "He adores him and Waltorana loves him like a true son. He'll be better off…"

Then the Demon Queen turned her head towards the window once more and lapsed into silence, Wolfram's blue dragon falling out of her limp grasp onto the floor by her feet.

Conrart turned away, unable to bear seeing his mother in such a broken state, and ran out of the room, pushing past forcefully by Gwendal.

His older brother caught his arm as he attempted to flee and asked, "Where exactly do you think you're going?"

"I'm going after Wolfram and I'm bringing him back!" Conrart shouted, struggling to break free out of the strong grip.

"Don't be a fool!" Gwendal snapped out harshly. "They're a good hour ride ahead of you, and even if you do catch up with them, what do you propose you do? Challenge Waltorana to a duel? Or get down on your knees and beg for him to change his mind? I'm sure you groveling in the dirt before him is something the bastard would enjoy very much!"

"At least I'm actually going to _try and do_ something about it, unlike you and mother!" Conrart yelled, angry tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes as much as he attempted to stop them.

Gwendal froze for a moment, although his stoic mask never faltered, then he let go of his brother's arm and watched as Conrart took off down the hallway. The mazoku stood there in the same spot even when he heard the loud commotion of cries and shouts of alarm from outside in the courtyard. Gwendal remained where he was, until even the sounds of a horse's neighing and the wild pounding of hooves had long since faded into the distance.

Sometimes life dealt out hard circumstances that were unavoidable. It was a lesson Conrart was going to have to learn sooner or later.

oOoOoOo

It was nearing dusk and slowly the setting of the sun crept upon the land transforming all the earthly tones into varying shades of crimson, orange and a golden splendor, making the trees and grass seem ablaze with fire.

_Fire_, Waltorana mused, staring at the coppery scenery from the carriage's window. To think that his own nephew was almost killed by his own element…an end like that would be a shameful embarrassment for any vonBielefield, who took the utmost pride in being masters of their elements. That, however, was not the reason for Waltorana's anger. The mazoku was furious, no doubt, but it was at himself, for being stupid and foolish enough to leave his nephew in the clutches of that blithering harpy he called his mother. A _cat _possessed more nurturing instincts that amorous wench.

Contrary to what that oaf, Stoffel had accused him of, he had not visited Covenant Castle on behalf of the Ten Aristocrats to survey how the kingdom was being run. Really, if they were all to blind to see that _that woman _would bring the walls crumbling down around her during her reign, they were just as idiotic as she was. Neither had he been there to usurp the present Maou from her throne and place himself or one of his relatives upon it, although, now that he thought about it, that notion did have merit. Wolfram would make a much better Maou than his mother, however, he was still quite young. It would be best to wait a couple of decades until his nephew came of age and had been cued in the role and mannerisms of how to rule. Now that the boy was safely out of reach from being corrupted from his mother's ludicrous whims and reprobate habits, he would truly be able to grow in his power and character! He had seen the way Wolfram had been sheltered and babied by his mother and two older brothers. Most assuredly, they would keep on in such a manner even when Wolfram reached adult-hood. There was nothing wrong with being loved so greatly, however coddling such as that often produced tremendously spoiled children. Although he had never actually seen Wolfram act up in front of him, he had heard the servants' hushed whisperings in the castle. It seemed his nephew had earned quite a few titles for his infamous temper tantrums: _Selfish Pooh_, _Little Lord Brat, _and so on.

Yes, he was definitely doing the right thing separating him from his mess of a family and the bad reputation he was already gaining. A future Maou couldn't afford to have entanglements like that hanging about him.

But still, training Wolfram for that purpose was not why Waltorana had come to the Covenant Castle and had vied so hard for his nephew's custody.

He had always wanted to raise Wolfram. Perhaps he had felt guilty at his brother not desiring to have a child and refusing to have anything to do with his own son. Perhaps he had felt responsible for taking care of the boy who never really knew his father that well before the father died all too soon and too young.

Perhaps it was because Waltorana himself, had come to view his nephew as his own son over time and could no longer swallow the bitter jealousy of seeing him so utterly happy with the woman he so despised.

Perhaps the title _Selfish Pooh_ did not just apply to Wolfram, but to all vonBielefelds in general.

The carriage bounced a little too roughly over a rough patch in the road and Waltorana was jostled out of his thoughts along with it. A small head slumped across his shoulder and onto his chest and the mazoku blinked and looked down to see Wolfram, bundled up securely in the blankets and sheets from his bed, his complexion still a little grey but now sporting hints of rosy cheeks. He was snoring contentedly, even drooling slightly, while a gentle evening breeze wafted through the carriage's window and tousled the boy's golden locks.

Waltorana smiled fondly and twirled one soft curl between his gloved fingertips.

He honestly had expected to be at the castle for several weeks before he could figure out some way to get around Shinou's decision. He had been certain Cecile was going to slip up and he would be there to see her utmost demise, however, he had never once imagined she would simply relent and allow him his way. He supposed Wolfram's elemental incident may have been the straw that broke the stack, that his combined preaching. It was probably one of her spontaneous resolutions, one which she would undoubtedly change her mind in a few hours or so, but he had seized the moment of victory when it was presented and left almost immediately with his prize.

He now possessed full guardianship of his nephew. Even if the Maou regained her senses and sent the guard after him, there was nothing she could do legally.

Wolfram was his.

"Lord vonBielefeld! There's a rider approaching!" announced one of the men in his traveling party.

"So soon, Cecile?" Waltorana murmured surprised. It was only an hour since they had left the castle. He had thought he would get a day's start ahead at least. His sister-in-law must be more distressed than he thought.

"My Lord?" asked his man waiting for instructions.

"Stop the coach," Waltorana said, getting up and carefully laying Wolfram down across the seat so he would not wake him. "I'll deal with this myself."

The mazoku stepped out of the carriage and waited with crossed arms as he watched the rider in the distance become larger and larger, until at last he came into full view and reined his horse in.

Waltorana raised an inquiring eyebrow surprised. Perhaps Cecile hadn't tried to recall her decision after all. If she had, she surely picked a poor choice sending her mulling half-human whelp to do the job.

"What do you want, _boy_?" Waltorana asked, emphasizing the last word, to show there were a few more colorful examples he could address him as.

The boy dismounted but kept a firm grip on the reigns as he stared Waltorana straight in the eye and said, "I want my brother."

"Go home, boy. Don't meddle in adult affairs you don't understand," Waltorana stated, turning to leave.

"I understand things better than you think," he heard the young Weller's voice say. "I understand that Mother isn't the best Maou to rule and that she lets Uncle Stoffel have his way more that he should have. And I understand that you think you are doing Wolfram a favor taking him away from us, but really, he's just a tool for you to use."

Waltorana tilted his head over his shoulder and half-smiled, "If that's what you want to think, go ahead. Now, begone, I have better things to do than make small talk with whiny children like you."

"Wolfram's happy where he is!" Conrart shouted, a hot rage swelling up in his chest.

Unbidden, the hand holding the reins of his horse fell open and strayed to the hilt of his sword which had begun accompanying him everywhere. The vonBielefeld guardsmen noted the movement and copied it warningly.

Waltorana glanced behind him and laughed, "Really, now, men, are you that intimidated by a weakling human spawn? I highly suggest you do not draw that toy of yours, boy. Demon Queen's son or not, you will show an Aristocrat the proper respect or you will get sound thrashing!"

"_What do you propose you do? Challenge Waltorana to a duel? Or get down on your knees and beg for him to change his mind?"_

Conrart's hand shook in restrained fury as Gwendal's words drifted back to him. No, he would not beg. He wouldn't give the man the satisfaction. And however much he wished to gut him open, he was still several lessons from being able to defeat a whole group of guards single-handed.

But one day...one day he would be the best swordsman there ever was! And when that day came, Waltorana had best watch his back.

Waltorana nodded as Conrart slowly let his hand drop from his sword's hilt, appeased at the sight, and motioned for his men to get moving.

"Wait," came a soft voice and the mazoku turned back yet again to see the boy's face no longer swarming with hatred and anger, but sadness and despair.

"Can I…can I see him, please?" Conrart asked, his voice pleading. "I never got…to say good-bye".

Waltorana stared at him for a long while with a measuring look, before he finally spoke his answer into the air.

"Yes, it is unfortunate that half-mazoku age quicker than full-bloods. Still, I suppose you'll live long enough to see him again when he returns to show everyone what a true Maou should be, that is, if you don't die ill-fatedly, challenging your betters and superiors to a hopeless duel!"

The vonBielefeld guards laughed uproariously at this and Waltorana, as he stood, one foot on the steps of the carriage, commented, "My nephew is sleeping. I do not see any reason to disturb his rest."

"Are you going to tell him?"

Waltorana paused and directed an inquisitive eye upon the figure of the boy standing forlornly in the road, despondent for all to see and with eyes that had once been burning with a determined fire minutes before, now so achingly hollow.

The mazoku stared, knowing what the question being asked was about, and when he finally answered, listeners might have mistaken the response for pity or compassion, however for Waltorana, it was a simple matter of fact realization.

"I don't think there's any need to destroy the boy's delusions he may have concerning you," Waltorana said, his eyes narrowing. "I'm sure you and all humans alike will over time reveal their true colors. I'd rather he found that out for himself first hand."

Then he climbed into the carriage and soon the traveling company was off with a steady rolling pace, leaving Conrart in a cloud of dust.

It was twilight now and the brazen radiant colors of the earth had all faded into a pale shimmering blue, while the night sky had been enshrouded in a deep purple hue which quickly turned a dark grey color as storm clouds gathered.

Conrart remained in the same spot and watched the carriage disappear from his line of vision, even when the warning rumbles of thunder boomed and flashes of lightning flared overhead.

He stayed, even when the heavens opened their floodgates and let lose a torrent of rain upon the land below.

And through the raging downpour, it was unable to determine raindrops from tears streaking down the boy's face.

oOoOoOo

The vonBielefeld coach's windows had been tightly closed to keep the cold air and stinging rain out. Waltorana could not help feeling sympathetic to his men who riding in the awful weather.

_If I were a more poetic person, I might think the gods are grieving in tune with the Demon Queen's melancholy mood,_ he mused.

The carriage gave a violent lurch forward then before rolling in the opposite direction a few paces with a loud squelching sound, causing its passengers inside to slam backwards into their seats quite hard.

A hand knocked against the window and Waltorana pushed it open and inquired with an annoyed countenance, "_What_ is going on out there?"

"The carrriage's wheels have gotten stuck in the mud, sir!" one of his guards explained with an apologetic face. "Even if we do get them clear, they'll just get stuck again with the road the way it is!

"There's also the possibility of falling trees to be wary of, sir" stated another guard.

"What are you suggesting? We just stay out here all night like sitting ducks until the storm passes then?" Waltorana said, his voice heavy with irony.

"We passed an inn not too far behind, My Lord," one of his men offered. "We could spend the night there and set out in the morning when everything's calm."

Waltorana's lip curled up in distaste at the very idea of staying in such a common place among lesser people, however the only other option was to return to Covenant Castle on horseback. He would not give Cecile another chance to take back what she had willingly given.

It might be hazardous to Wolfram's health if he spent the night in a damp coach though.

"Very well," he said reluctantly, picking his sleeping nephew up, making sure he was securely bundled up in his blankest, and wrapping his cloak around him, before he stepped out into the soaking rain and gusts of wind.

oOoOoOo

Wolfram woke up confused and just a little bit frightened. This room with wooden walls, rotting in some places, bare with little furniture, its shabby bed and scratchy sheets were not his room. A window to his left held no fancy curtains with tassels and was streaked with dirt, and the view outside showed that it was night and a storm was blowing. The room was very dark with only a small lamp lit, its glow casting odd-figured shadows to dance eerily about.

The door to the room suddenly opened and Wolfram sat up and stared wide-eyed at the outline of the person unable to see their identity until they stepped fully into the light.

"O-Ojiiue?" Wolfram asked, relieved to see the familiar face.

"Ah, Wolfram, you're awake," his uncle said, smiling charmingly as he took off his cloak which was thoroughly drenched and hung it on the bedpost and flung his cap onto the bed next to his nephew's. "I'd thought you'd sleep till morning."

"Where, where am I?" Wolfram questioned blinking, uncertain if this was a dream or not. "Where's mother?"

Waltorana frowned slightly at the mention of Celi, then cleared his expression as he walked around his bed to Wolfram's and kneeled down so he was eye to eye with the boy, "She's at the castle. She agreed to let me take you to vonBielefeld. We're staying at this location they have the gull to call an inn until the storm dies down."

"I get to visit you for awhile?" Wolfram asked excitedly, not understanding.

Waltorana hesitated, wondering if he should correct him. He wasn't sure how Wolfram would take the news, and didn't want to jeopardize the boy's already fragile state. He was still weak from abusing his maryoku. The last thing he needed was his nephew to launch into an impressive fit. Not only would he become more ill, but he would probably bring this decrepit shoddy inn to its foundation in flames.

"Yes, for quite a long while," Waltorana replied, settling for a half truth. He would explain the situation fully when they were back at his home.

"Go back to sleep, Wolfram," he said, and swept one hand through the young boy's flaxen hair affectionately. "You need to rest some more."

Wolfram lay back down and let his uncle tuck him in, his gaze never leaving the older mazoku. Waltorana glanced up and smiled in bemusement at his nephew's close examining of him.

"What is it?" he asked puzzled.

"Are you lonely, Ojiiue?" Wolfram questioned, his green eyes blinking large and owlishly in the dim lighting. "Because you don't have to be. I'm here."

With that, Wolfram leaned up and planted a soft peck on his uncle's cheek, before rolling over and quickly drifting into peaceful slumber.

Waltorana remained in his kneeling position by the foot of his nephew's bed for a few moments, before getting up and going to stand by the window to watch the never-ending cloudburst from the sky batter mercilessly against the glass pane.

Lifting one hand to his cheek, he voiced out loud to his reflection, vivid with the flashes of lightning, "Lonely…I wonder…"

oOoOoOo

It was amazing, Waltorana speculated, that his nephew could seem so adorable the night before, however, in the morning it was as if he had been replaced with a changeling child.

First had been the incident with one of the serving girls at the inn. Waltorana had gone out early with a few of his guards, leaving the rest behind to see no harm befell his nephew, to see what damage the storm had dealt to the road they were going to be traveling and if their carriage could be unstuck from the now dried mud. After setting some of his men to clear the bramble and fallen debris upon the path and receiving word that the wheels would probably be dislodged in an hour, Waltorana returned to the inn and stumbled onto the scene of the serving girl fleeing down the stairs from the rooms above screeching hysterically and flinging herself into the inn-keeper's broad chest where she continued her ear-shattering caterwauls.

From what audible sayings she managed through her gulping sobs, it appeared she had thought the guests had left already and had gone to clean the rooms as it was her duty. However, when she had entered she had noticed the room was still occupied by a small blond body in the bed.

"He looked like so cute! Like a little angel dreaming! He even made little purring sounds! I just had to touch him!" the girl was shrieking now. "I only pet his head! Then he attacked meeeeeeeee! WAAAAAAH!"

Further interrogating from both Waltorana and the inn-keeper, they learned that the "little angel dreaming" had become quite grumpy and violent at being awoken and had bit the servant girl's hand right through the skin. Waltorana wondered if his nephew always awoke in such a manner, however he did think his actions were highly justifiable this time. The stupid girl had got what she deserved. Perhaps this would teach her to not bother her guests and leave them in peace. She should be glad she hadn't provoked Wolfram enough for him to strike up his maryoku.

The inn-keeper was trying to console her, but she was baying like a cowardly dog, "_But he bit me! I might have caught a disease!"_

It only took once chilling ominous glare from Waltorana to shut her into silence and send her scurrying hurriedly away. After that, the mazoku had looked around, searching for the guards who had been supposed to watch over the boy. He spotted them sitting at a table, devouring the food which had been prepared for them.

A fist slamming down hard upon the table's surface interrupted their pleasant meal and upset their appetites as they stared at their lord's vexed demeanor.

"If you can not follow through with the simple task I ask of you, then you can join the rest of the company sweating outside and toiling slavishly!" he barked out, sending the men saluting hastily and scrambling for the door in a panicked state.

Waltorana heaved a sigh of exasperation and pinched the skin between his eyebrows in an attempt to spirit away the headache he felt coming on.

The day wasn't even half way over.

oOoOoOo

Waltorana raised an incredulous eyebrow at his nephew seated across from him at the table or more correctly, the petulant pout which was firmly planted upon the boy's lips as he stared at the dishes laid out for them to eat.

"Is anything wrong with the food?" he asked, finding himself terribly amused.

Wolfram looked as if he was fighting an internal battle within himself. His mouth was quivering at the corners, his face had flushed an angry shade of red, and he had curled his hands into tight little fists as he glowered sourly at the meal before him. No doubt he was not at all pleased with the inn's choice of food and was debating whether or not he was upset enough to pitch a tantrum. Waltorana found himself surprised to be waiting in eager anticipation. He had never witnessed a _Little Lord Brat _incident before. He suspected that his nephew wanted to appear like a good boy for his uncle, however this breakfast seemed to be pushing the child's limits.

"Wolfram?" he asked, wondering if his voice had splintered the fragile wall holding the boy's emotions back.

Wolfram jumped a little at hearing his name and blinked at his uncle as if just realizing he was there. His presence seemed to resolve something for the child's next actions were to set his mouth into a firm line, take a deep breath, pick up a spoonful of the grey glop which was supposedly porridge, and swallow the lump with a dreadful but determined grimace.

Waltorana chuckled, placing his hands under his chin as he watched his nephew delightedly. The serving girl may have been an air-headed wench, but she was right. Wolfram was very cute indeed.

oOoOoOo

The carriage rolled along through the now-cleared road, wobbling a bit unevenly, but at least they were finally moving, away from Celi and Covenant Castle and away from the inn and its extremely unsatisfactory service.

Wolfram had at last snapped out of sluggish, fussy behavior and was a very different sight from the pale ashen child he had been the day before. At the moment, he was sitting next to uncle, swinging his short legs to and fro happily as he giggled at the various shapes and forms his uncle's fire element changed to as he manipulated it to entertain him.

"When we arrive at my manor, I shall teach you how to do this as well," Waltorana stated as he kindled a small flaming bird into existence.

"But I already know how to do that!" Wolfram bragged, puffing out his chest proudly. "Mother said I made a fire lion bigger than Elizabeth's!"

Waltorana raised an eyebrow at that and opened his mouth to say something, before thinking better of it.

"Well, I shall perfect your skills then, O Mighty One! Would you like that, Master of Greatness?" he inquired jestingly, reaching over and tickling his nephew on the stomach.

Wolfram howled with laughter, his legs kicking out in vain as he tried to escape his uncle's clutches, and Waltorana laughed heartily hugging the boy close, startling himself even.

He couldn't remember the last time he truly laughed…it must have been when his brother was still alive…

All of a sudden, the carriage gave a tremendous jolt as if it had been slammed with a battering ram and there came frenzied shouts from his men and shrill horses' cries outside.

For a moment, Waltorana believed the wheels had gotten stuck in the mud once again. Then he realized it was not storming…and the sounds of swords clashing were filling the air.

Curious, Wolfram made to poke his head outside the window to see what the loud ruckus was, but he was jerked him backwards abruptly. Landing on the coach's floor with a startled yelp, he stared up at his uncle puzzled.

"Ojiiue?"

"Quiet," Waltorana ordered, drawing the window's curtains quickly.

Wolfram watched as his uncle stood up and lifted up the cushion where the two had been sitting seconds before. There was an empty space below the seat and Waltorana motioned the boy to climb into it.

"Hurry," he said, his voice issuing in a sense of urgency.

Heart pounding and his mouth suddenly dry, Wolfram did as bidden and squatted down in the small hiding place, circling his arms around his knees.

"No matter what happens, you stay here and do not come out," Waltorana commanded in a grim tone, his eyebrows furrowed and his face stark white.

"Ojiiue!" Wolfram cried softly, but his uncle had already placed the cushion back on top of the secret compartment and he was left alone in the darkness.

oOoOoOo

Waltorana flung open the door to the carriage in a furious rage. Whoever it was who _dared _to attack his company, they would soon feel his wrath. The mazoku stepped outside and paused, his gaze falling to his unconscious men lying scattered across the forest road. The horses were gone; either they had run off in the ambush or had been taken. The surrounding area seemed deserted and was deathly silent, however Waltorana wasn't one to be fooled by false appearances.

"You can come out now, all three of you," he ordered, letting his arms fall to his side to show he had not drawn any weapons yet.

"You sensed our presence. Pretty smart for a mazoku, but who would expect anything less from the leader of the Ten Aristocrats?" came a voice from a figure suddenly melted away from the shadow of a tree and stepped into the light.

Waltorana was aware of two other people approaching slowly, one from his left side and one from behind, but he remained where he stood and focused on the person in front of him.

It was a woman with long flowing red hair, violet eyes, garbed in a purple cape and brandishing a staff with a glinting red stone.

Houseki crystals…so that was why his men had been knocked out so easily. He would have to be careful. He couldn't just openly attack her with his maryoku.

"What do you want?" Waltorana inquired, stalling for time while he searched for a way out of this situation. "And tell your lackeys trying to sneak up on me they're about as quiet as a Bad Omen bird."

The woman laughed at that and said with an impish smirk, "Falconer, Hughes, His Lordship is funny! Let's humor him, ne?"

The two men halted in their bumbling wake and Waltorana turned his head a bit to the side to evaluate his opponents, while still keeping an eye on the female who it seemed was in charge of the assailment.

If their names matched their character, he would bet that Falconer was the slim, scrawny fellow to his left with raggedy brown hair and a hooked nose and Hughes was the tall, muscular man with the shaven head behind him. They, themselves, did not possess houskei crystals, but swords instead.

"What do you want?" Waltorana asked again, a small sheen of sweat perspiring across his brow, but it was not himself he was worrying for…

"We really couldn't believe our luck when we saw you at the inn earlier this morning," the woman continued, ignoring his question. "It was just too good to be true! Here we were on the way to slip across your borders to get to you, but there you were right in front of us with only five guardsmen! So we decided to slip out ahead of you and greet you in a proper manner."

"A sneak attack is the manner you think is proper?" Waltorana inquired, refusing to dwell on why he was their intended target and subtly curling his right hand into a starting summon of his element.

The woman was standing directly beneath a very thick, heavy-looking tree branch. If he hit it right on its weak point, it would fall upon the victim below and he could deal with the two less dangerous ambushers.

"Don't even think about it," the woman said, as if knowing his next move and whirled her staff upside down, touching the ground by her feet with the tip of the crystal.

Waltorana's first thought was that she was an idiot to leave herself open like that and thrust out his hand immediately in hurl an assault with his maryoku…only to find himself utterly paralyzed and unable to breathe for several long seconds.

Then finally, after what seemed like forever, a small prickle of pain shot right in the center of his chest and quickly flared out in all directions across his body, growing more and more intense, until Waltorana collapsed to his knees convulsing violently, and there it was he saw that he was hunched over directly in the center of a shining red pentagram, pin-pointed by smaller houseki crystals which had been set up.

He had been lured into an entrapment.

Through his excruciating lacerations, Waltorana swore silently at his own folly.

"Sorry, Lord vonBielefeld," the woman said, shrugging. "Nothing personal. It's just good business."

What did she mean by that? the mazoku wondered, however he soon had his mind in turmoil on something other than the horrible pain he was in.

"Hey, Valmira, do you think there's any valuables in the carriage?" asked the muscular man, supposedly Hughes, while Falconer nodded to the suggestion.

"You greedy swine!" Valmira chided mockingly to her comrades in arms. "We'll be paid handsomely enough as it is for His Lordship here to live like the nobles themselves and you're still wanting to hunt for petty baubles? Tch, go ahead if it will keep you from sulking for the rest of the journey though!"

_The carriage…Wolfram! _

Waltorana bit down on his tongue to keep from crying out not from pain but from fear. He had to trust that the boy would be safe in the secret compartment. Nontheless, he watched the searching of the coach with bated breath until it was finished.

"Nothing but traveling money," Hughes grunted, weighing the pouch of money in one hand.

"Well, you sure don't boast your wealth like most aristocrats," Valmira commented.

Waltorana felt a wave of relief rush through him. So they hadn't discovered the hiding place after all.

"Are you sure that's all?" Falconer asked, speaking out loud for the first time. "These mazoku are tricky, don't forget."

Valmira cast a debating look at the carriage before examining Waltorana closely.

"What do you say, Your Lordship?" the woman questioned. "Are you holding back the goods on us?"

Waltorana stared back at her spitefully and said nothing.

"I guess there really is nothing of any worth in there. I'll just destroy it then," Valmira declared off-handedly as she leveled her staff at the coach, the houseki crystals glowing dangerously.

"NO, STOP!" Waltorana shouted in a distressed voice.

"Oho! Check it again, boys!" Valmira ordered excitedly. "This is getting interesting!"

Waltorana could only watch on helplessly as the two men began rummaging through the carriage anew.

oOoOoOo

Wolfram sat huddled in the coach's hiding place frightened and worried. He wasn't sure how long he had been there, but he didn't like it. He hated the dark and the silence and the compartment which he was sure was slowly growing smaller and smaller. He had to remain there though, his uncle had told him to!

What was going on outside? One little peek couldn't hurt.

Then he heard his uncle's voice through the compartment, muffled, "NO, STOP!"

All rational thoughts flew from the boy's head, including the instructions from his uncle. Wolfram pushed the top of the compartment up and lifted his head out…to come face to face with a huge bald monster.

oOoOoOo

"Look what I found!" Hughes guffawed. "A pint-sized stowaway!"

Waltorana gazed in trepidation as the man hauled a kicking and squalling Wolfram out from the carriage and held him up for all to see.

"Hmm, a kid?" Valmira voiced, seeming quite surprised. "Who's he?"

"Bit of family resemblance there, don't you think," Falconer stated, pointing between the two mazoku.

"Is the runt yours?" Valmira inquired of Waltorana, who never got to respond due to a great rumbling bellow from Hughes as Wolfram bit him.

"_OJIIUE!"_ the small boy screamed, struggling wildly and flailing his limbs in punches and kicks.

"Be still, damn brat!" Hughes snarled flinging back one hand in preparation to strike.

"WOLFRAM!" Waltorana exclaimed at the same time Valmira yelled, "Hughes, you big lug, you'll damage him!"

Falconer solved the problem by reaching over and pinching a nerve on the boy's neck. Wolfram slumped over in the man's arms, completely docile, unconscious.

Waltorana clenched his teeth in frustration as he attempted in vain to free himself from the houseki stone circle's imprisonment, but it was no use. He could barely move and he was about to faint. He could tell by the darkening edges in the corners of his eyes.

"Don't strain yourself, Your Lordship, it'll hurt less," Valmira said though she was staring at the smaller blond with a furrowed brow as if thinking really hard.

"What…do you _want_?" Waltorana managed to get out, his limbs trembling in exhaustion from forcing himself to stay alert for so long.

"It's not what we want. It's our employer," the woman explained. "I'm not gonna do any name-throwing, but he's pretty high up there, power-hungry and needs an incentive for your kingdom to make the first move against his so he can justify a war."

Waltorana's eyes widened at that shocking statement. She couldn't mean…

"I don't think the Ten Aristocrats are going to like the example he makes out of their leader," Valmira said, winking at him. "Or the plans he has for your cities. Your Maou will have no choice but to fight, even is she doesn't want to-"

The woman cut herself off abruptly a she gaped at the boy in Hughes arms and Waltorana realized with a sinking feeling, she somehow knew who he was.

"Wolfram," she said. "Did you call him Wolfram just before? As in Wolfram vonBielefeld, third son of the Demon Queen? Yes, you did, and he called you 'uncle'! _Oh, this is rich!_"

With that, the woman threw her head back and laughed elatedly, not able to believe her good luck.

"Oh my, this is unexpected!" Valmira crowed triumphantly as he smirked over the unconscious child like he was a trophy. "Let's go, boys! Leave His Lordship here and bring the runt instead."

"But I thought the boss wanted to make an example out of him," Hughes said confused, pointing to Waltorana kneeling on the ground.

"We'll be forgiven. The kid's worth his weight in gold ten times over. Forget living like nobles. We'll each buy an island and become royalty," Valmira said. "If he wants an incentive for war, he'll get one. I highly doubt the Maou will like the fact her youngest child is in the hands of the neighboring kingdom at their mercy. Besides, what would be a more better example than the leader of the Ten Aristocrats being caught off his guard by three weak humans and die due to houseki crystals draining his energy?"

Waltorana's vision was swimming and he felt as if he were traveling down a long tunnel, for even when the woman bent down next to his ear, her words sounded as if she were speaking from far away.

"You mazoku think you're so much better than us lowly humans, don't you, just because you live longer and possess maryoku? Well, here's what I say. You may think that; it may even be true, but I will tell you something: we are and always will be smarter. Now hurry up and die!"

Her boot connected to the mazoku's rib with a resounding crack and the last thing Waltorana recalled before darkness overtook him, was hearing the name whispered faintly upon his lips.

"Wolfram."

To Be Continued…

* * *

**A/N: OHOHOHO! I bet the title threw you off didn't it? Ho-hum, a chapter about a carriage stuck in the mud-AH, what just happened?! Seriously, I've been working like crazy on this chapter and my goodness, its long! (And angsty,**_** again, **_**when shall I ever be free from this genre?)**

**Concerning Wolfram's father, there's not a whole lot of information aside from a small tidbit in one of the drama CDs, which was he was young when he died and did not want anything to do with Wolfram. (Alright, for those who want proof of this, I have a link to the discussion about this info in the drama CD on my profile up top. Go check it out. Yes, sadly it is true about Wolfram and his father). **

**Notice anything familiar about the three humans? No, they're not the same ones from the show. They are, however, their predecessors (that I made up). It seems kidnapping and profiteering must run in the family genes. Also, if anyone's wondering, yes, it's Big Cimaron's king that wants to start a war. **

**So, I would love some feedback from you all (aside from the "Poor Wol-chan! You're an evil author! :chucks sporks: );;;. Tell me what you liked, what parts were tearjerkers, if I managed to get the right emotions across to you all, and did I depict the characters' thoughts and personalities well. Thank you for reading and I hope you come back for the next chapter!**


	5. Playing For Keeps

**Disclaimer:** I do not own **Kyou Kara Maou**. Tomo Takabayashi does.

**Summary: **Young Wolfram's world is thrown into chaos when his uncle Waltorana attempts to gain his custody from Celi.

**Title: Between Two Worlds**

**Ch.5 Playing For Keeps**

Waltorana drifted in and out of consciousness. He was unclear on how long he remained sprawled out on the ground; all he could recall was the extreme harrowing of pain that racked through his body and the shining glow of the houseki crystals which imprisoned him. Through his blurred vision, he imagined they had sprung to life and were dancing around him jeeringly, tiny glimmering red sprites which tormented him with their whisperings.

"_Death,"_ they spoke in shrill little voices, their faces stretched in wicked eager grins. _"Death will soon come for you and ease your suffering!"_

Then merciful oblivion swept Waltorana away, away from their cruel taunts and malicious laughter, and when he again slipped into wakefulness, it was for the very briefest of moments.

Dazed, he remotely realized that the pain vanished, and wondered if Death had come to collect him early as it had with his brother, however, wasn't Death supposed to bring eternal rest? Why were his limbs so weary and heavy-ladden? The surface beneath him felt hard and uneven…like a forest floor.

A shadow fell over him and Waltorana managed to lift his head long enough to catch a glimpse of the figure standing over him, before the darkness claimed him a third time.

_Strange,_ was his final thought as he let himself be enshrouded in obscurity. _I never once pictured Death with red hair…_

Then Waltorana knew no more.

oOoOoOo

The next time Waltorana awoke, he had full reign of his senses and was in a bed. Just by the lumpy texture of the mattress and the scratchy feeling of the sheets, the mazoku instantaneously knew he was back in the decrepit inn from last night's stay without even needing to see the familiar crumbling walls.

The door to the room opened and a serving girl stepped in with a tray of food and gave a little gasp of shock when she noticed the occupant was awake.

It was the very same busy-body serving girl whom his nephew had bitten for disturbing his rest.

Well, if Waltorana really was dead, it appeared he was in the worst hell he could possibly imagine.

"Oh, my, you're awake, Lord vonBielefeld, sir!" the servant girl cried stating the obvious.

"Why am I here?" Waltorana inquired as several images flashed through his head: the houseki crystal trap, his men lying in the pathway, and Wolfram slumped over unconscious in his captive's arms.

Wolfram…he felt the panic, fear, anxiety and guilt all eating away at his heart. He had taken the boy away from Celi on claims she didn't look after him properly, and in the first twenty-four hours of gaining the child's custody, he had allowed some mere inferior _humans _to nearly kill him and steal away the one thing he held more precious to him than life itself.

The houseki stones would have dealt their magic on any mazoku caught off his guard just like he had been, he tried to tell himself, but his consciousness was not buying the pathetic excuse.

"We were brought word that you and your company had suffered an ambush and how your attackers had left you all for dead out in the road!" the serving girl explained, setting the dishes from the tray onto the bedside table. "So, we sent out a rescuing committee and brought you all back here! I'm afraid the bandits ran off with your horses though. Of all the nerve, assaulting one of the aristocrats!"

Waltorana frowned at her story. Something was out of place about it…

"But the houseki crystals," the mazoku questioned. "How did you manage coming near us with the houseki crystals?"

An ancient, ram-shackled inn this place might be, with its even lesser owners, but however low their status was, Waltorana knew for a fact they were all full mazokus. One couldn't live in the Great Demon Kingdom and not be anything but a pure blood without people knowing.

So how had they avoided the stones' sapping power and retrieved him and his men unscathed?

"It was the boy that told us what had happened to you," the serving girl said. "He came across you in the road and gathered up all the crystals, so there wouldn't be any problems for us."

"A boy?" Waltorana asked, wondering for a split second if it could have been Wolfram, but no, of course not. Wolfram was a full mazoku and currently being held hostage who knew where…

"Yes, the boy was a _half mazoku!"_ the serving girl stated, whispering the last part as if the word was cursed. Now, she spoke again, holding the empty tray over her mouth as she told the next bit of juicy gossip, "Apparently he lives in that village set up as haven for all half mazoku. Shocking isn't it? The likes of him daring to venture into decent folk's territory, but it was fortunate that he stumbled across you."

That must have been who was standing over him before he lost consciousness again, Waltorana mused, scoffing at his earlier assumption.

Death with red hair…really!

However, it was fortunate for him that a half mazoku had come along. Houseki crystals posed no threat to those who did not possess maryoku.

The boy had saved his life, or…more importantly, he had presented Waltorana with another chance to steal back what rightfully belonged to him and act out revenge.

The serving girl mistook his silence for disapproval and hastily tried to reassure him, "We sent him away as soon as possible! There's no half mazoku hanging around here to bother you about a reward of sorts!"

From the way, the girl was speaking so casually on the matter, it was clear she or at least her boss intended to receive such a due consolation prize for their troubles of retrieving and keeping him and his men an extra night.

Waltorana was hardly paying any attention to the thought of the avaricious inn-keeper's expectations or his surprising rescuer, though. No, he was planning out just how exactly each one of the three humans should die and quite painful, agonizing deaths too.

Oh yes, those humans would pay!

No one stole from Waltorana vonBielefeld and lived very long.

oOoOoOo

Gwendal supposed it was quite an ironic paradox that silence could be the worst sound in existence.

Covenant Castle's walls were void of its usual everyday bustle and chatter. The maids dutifully did their chores and for once tried to keep out of the royal family's business and way, speaking only in hushed tones. The palace guards avoided looking directly into his eyes whenever he passed them even the Bad Omen birds had ceased their relentless cawing.

It was as if a large gaping hole had been left in the place where Wolfram used to be before he was taken out of their lives, ripped from the seams of their very heartstrings.

Celi hadn't uttered another word after explaining to Conrart where his brother had gone and had barricaded herself in Wolfram's room, much like a Sand Bear burrows itself deep underground; and Conrart…

Conrart had returned during the night in a raging storm, thoroughly drenched and without Wolfram, but really, was the last part any surprise? Gwendal stubbornly squashed the memory of him foolishly hoping that his younger brother would be successful. Waltorana was a rather possessive victor. He had known the minute he had seen the aristocrat's face that near-tragic day when Wolfram butchered his element that nothing come hell or high water was going to change the determined mind to take the boy away. Conrart had never stood a chance.

Conrart, who had ever since he had come back, been practicing his swordsmanship skills in the soldiers' training grounds, paying no heed to the hazardous conditions of the outside. He had been at it in a fashion all night, disregarding the need for sleep, as if only he and his sword existed.

Gwendal wondered if he was imaging Waltorana on the other end of his blade. In any case, he was far too ashamed to try and console his brother or even face him.

Conrart's accusing words rang throughout his head like the repeated tolling of a bell and cut through him like a knife.

"_At least I'm actually going to try and do something about it, unlike you and mother!"_

Gwendal rubbed a hand over his face and sighed wearily. He hadn't gotten any sleep last night either. It had been spent knitting furiously at a pace that even amazed himself, not that the finished outcomes looked any better than his usual ones. By the time the dawn had broken and raised it's fiery head into the sky, there were three new horribly deformed stuffed animals to join his massive collection: a purple pig which appeared to be crossed with a bear, a green whale which looked more like a roly-poly caterpillar and a blue dragon….which closely resembled the one which had been Wolfram's favorite toy…

A fist slammed itself against harshly the stone wall as the young mazoku vented out his frustration upon it. It wasn't the fact that Wolfram would grow up away from them, his real family, but that whenever they saw him again, he would be changed, utterly unrecognizable from the little brother they knew so well, both in features and in character. The vonBielefelds were arrogant, jealous, conceited and prone to hold grudges for anyone or anything that dared offend them. To realize that Wolfram would become one of them and one day perhaps stare at his brothers and mother with such deep-seated contempt…it was more than Gwendal could bear to think about.

Gwendal leaned his head against the glass of the window, the coolness of its surface feeling refreshing to his forehead.

That was why he was the first of the palace to see Waltorana and only one guard enter into the courtyard, without carriage and without Wolfram.

And Gwendal knew somehow, without even being told, that his little brother was far beyond the reach of anyone now.

oOoOoOo

"_YOU PIG-LOVING MONSTER!"_

Waltorana tilted his head to one side and felt the rush of wind as the heavy-bound book sailed past him and connected to the wall behind. He had known what coming back to Covenant Castle without Wolfram and explaining what had happened would entail, and he had only returned there simply because it was closer than his own estate. If his nephew's abductors were to be found it must be done quickly before they crossed out of the Great Demon Kingdom's boundaries. He had sent two of his guardsmen out into the surrounding countryside in hopes of discovering the humans' trail and another ahead to Bielefeld to alert his house of the predicament which had arisen. His remaining guard had remained with him, however, it was not bandits who were currently assaulting him.

"YOU NO-ACCOUNT CUR! YOU-YOU-_BASTARD!_" Celi screamed, rattling off a few more shocking self-proclamations about his lineage, as she flung any object near her at him.

Waltorana felt a vein spring out upon his forehead. He did understand her frustration and rage. After all, it was her child that was missing and he had been the one that had lost him, but if they would get no closer to recovering Wolfram if the damn woman kept carrying on is such a fashion! They needed to be planning how many forces should be sent out to search and how many were needed at different locations on the boundary lines as blockades.

The mazoku dodged the next few bombardments at him and allowed his sister-in-law to vent out some more of her wrath, however, when she pulled out a whip seemingly out of nowhere that was the last straw.

"WHAT IN SHINOU'S NAME, DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING, WOMAN?!" Waltorana roared at Celi across the room as he caught the end of her weapon in a tight grip, but not before it had grazed his cheek, leaving a thin slash mark.

"I'M GOING TO LYNCH YOU AND THEN HANG OUT YOU OUTSIDE THE WINDOW FOR ALL TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO MAZOKU COWARDS!" Celi shrieked, grappling with him over the whip.

_Coward! _That was going a bit too far, Waltorana thought seething. He had been no coward; he had merely been unable to act out against the attackers, that was all! Curse the woman and her stupid fit of female hysterics!

He didn't know how she did it. For one so slim with more curves than muscles, Waltorana really couldn't figure out how Celi managed to yank him forward and lasso the whip around him until he was tied up like a prized hog.

_Shinou_, the crazy dame was actually going to string him up like she had declared! Waltorana struggled in vain gaping at his captor incredulously as she tugged him closer and closer to wards the room's large pane glass window, however, the whip was wound so tightly about him, he barely could take a breath.

Well, fine then, he had always wanted an excuse to flambé his sister-in-law and she was giving him the perfect opportunity! Waltorana snapped his fingers igniting the first small flame of fire. Hopefully the Maou would be utterly unrecognizable under all the scorch and burn scars afterwards-even better if all her hair was seared off.

"_MOTHER! STOP!"_

Celi did refrain from her intent of strangling her brother-in-law and hanging his body out the window long enough for Waltorana to set the whip on fire, causing her to release her hold on the weapon with a startled cry. Waltorana extricated himself from his blazing bonds and pushed them to the floor where the fire hungrily devouring its prey simmered and died, leaving the whip's charred remains behind. Then the aristocrat looked up to view who had been the needed distraction for his escape.

It was Celi's first son, Gwendal vonVoltaire who had called out for Celi to halt, however, Waltorana did not fool himself into thinking the youth had done so for his benefit. No doubt, he was merely concerned for the welfare of his mother, who Maou or not, would face the consequences of the law by killing not only an aristocrat, but one of the heads of the houses as well. Either that, or her son wanted the pleasure of killing Waltorana himself.

Unfortunately, it seemed that neither of the two would receive satisfaction of slaying the person they so loathed, because the half-human Weller spawn decided the take the life of the mazoku in his own hands.

The boy darted past his brother and shot through the open doorway, a streak of brown hair and a dangerous glint of steel in his hands as he rushed towards his prey like a speeding arrow seeking its mark…

Waltorana felt the blade slice through the side of his uniform a hairs-breath away from his skin even as he turned sharply to one side to avoid the full intended strike.

His blood boiling in anger, Waltorana drew both his hands into clenched fists, fire flaring up about them. He had had it with the entire ludicrous family! He had indulged them their right in accusing him as his fault the youngest prince had been abducted and taking out their temper out upon him, but he would not simply stand there and present himself as a defenseless target to a would-be assassin clan!

The first blast of fire caught Conrart in the chest and sent him flying backwards and crashing into the room's table. Then as if he was trying to prove how irritatingly stubborn and idiotic humans could be, the boy leapt up unfazed and sprung at Waltorana again.

Only Gwendal's quick thinking and action of rushing forward and gripping his brother firmly by the arms to halt his mad tirade against Waltorana kept the mazoku from charbroiling the whelp to a satisfactory crisp.

"Conrart, calm down!" Gwendal roared in a commanding voice, but Conrart was far beyond being consoled by reason now.

"HE WAS SAFE HERE! WOLFRAM WAS SAFE!" Conrart screamed at Waltorana, his face an infuriated red, struggling vigorously to escape his brother's grasp. "YOU TOOK HIM AWAY FROM US! IT'S YOUR FAULT! _IT'S YOUR FAULT!!"_

Another pang of guilt flared up in the mazoku's chest as those words cut sharply to the core, however if Wolfram was to be saved, then merely wallowing in his own accountable actions would not help.

"Yes, it is my fault," Waltorana agreed, taking the blame. "Now are you all going to assist me in getting him back or are you going to continue attempting on my life?"

"Don't assume once we rescue our brother that you have any claim to take him away again," Gwendal warned, his face an impenetrable wall. "You had your chance."

Waltorana eyebrows narrowed as he locked eyes with the youth.

"We'll discuss that matter later once we recover Wolfram," the aristocrat stated, his tone issuing no room for arguing.

"Yes, we _will_," Celi declared, her emerald eyes shining with a new-found determination as she stepped forward behind her two sons.

Waltorana took in the family staring unfaltering back him and scrutinized their austere expressions. All of a sudden, he realized it was not just a matter of rescuing Wolfram from his abductors. The game had spiraled down a new path and the prize was up for grabs again.

Both sides were playing for keeps now.

oOoOoOo

A pair of intense blue eyes observed its targets in silence from the tree above which they were currently passing by. The owner of them had been tracking and watching them closely for awhile now, making sure no sign of him had ever been seen or heard. They were an odd company, traveling through the forest on foot, lightly loaded, and steering clear of clear paths or open spaces. The company consisted of three adults and one child. The blue eyes paid extra special attention to the child…

"Valmira, how long am I going to have to carry this runt?" Hughes grumbled as the group wallowed their way through the dense underbrush and thick woods.

"What's the matter, Hughes? A big strapping man like you not strong enough to hold up a measly mazoku brat?" Valmira laughed mockingly back at him from her position up ahead.

"It's.Not.That," Hughes ground out through his teeth in irritation as Wolfram scored another several swift kicks all along his upper torso, thrown over the man's broad shoulder as he was. "I'd like to break his legs off! Why can't we keep him sedated with the houseki stones until we get to Big Cimaron?"

"He's no good to us dead. You saw what a handful of those stones did to His Lordship back there, and that was a full-grown mazoku. The crystals will sap every bit of life the Prince Brat has before we even make it out of this forest if I do what you suggest, then where will our reward money be? Think with your head not with your bruised muscles, Hughes!" Valmira commented, earning an appreciative laugh from Falconer.

"Well can't we at least shut him up? He's going to bring the entire team of nosy noble mazoku combing the forest straight to us with his loud squawking!" Hughes said scowling as Wolfram drew in a deep breath and then released it with a bloodcurdling shriek.

"WHERE'S MY OJIIUE?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?! PUT ME DOWN AT ONCE! I WON'T BE TOUCHED BY FILTHY HUMAN HANDS!!"

Valmira stopped and turned, walking over to where Hughes and his captive were, until she stood nose to nose with a beet-faced Wolfram.

"I'd be wise and stow your tongue, brat, unless you want it ripped out. You have two choices: you can be gagged until you almost choke or I can make you so nauseous you couldn't even manage to whisper. It depends on whether I feel merciful today." Valmira offered, brandishing her staff threateningly. "I can use a small amount of the crystals' powers on you for a short time without endangering your life. So which will it be, brat?"

"YOU'RE AN UGLY OLD WITCH!!" Wolfram screamed at the woman and then just for good measure, he threw in an insult he had heard his uncle say about the serving girl back at the tavern. "An empty-headed wench who enjoys spreading her legs!!"

He had no idea what it meant, however it seemed to have scored a solid blow to Valmira's pride as Hughes and Falconer both sucked in their breath bated and the woman's face flared up green, red and then purple, before she regained control of her emotions.

"Fine, we'll do this the hard way Your Royal Bratness," she said pointed her staff at the child's head and making it glow only once.

Even through the painful bouts of nausea he was experiencing and the feeling of his throat being squeezed, Wolfram mustered enough energy to boldly throw up all over the front of Valmira's robes as a final payback and took pleasure in the woman's enraged disgusted screeches.

From his position in the tree above, Yozak Gurrier chuckled quietly at the kid's spunk. So this was Conrart's little brother his friend talked so much about when visiting him. The Wolfram he had heard about had been described somewhat differently. Oh the blond hair and green eyes were correct no doubt, however from the way Conrart had characterized him, Yozak had imagined a perfect angel with adorable ethereal looks and a sweet charming personality that was irresistible. He did recall Conrart remark that Wolfram could be a bit of a handful when he got angry, but seemed to have missed the mark by a few more choice words. From what Yozak was seeing, it looked like his friend's younger brother was quite the unholy terror.

It had been sheer luck-or fate, depending on what one believed in, that he had stumbled across the fallen mazoku trapped within the houseki crystals' pentagram. He had been on his way home to the village where half-mazoku could live in peace, returning from one of his travels. He did the odd job every now and then; sometimes information was needed and he had a knack for wheedling it out and acquiring it. People tended to let their guard and loosen their tongues around kids. No one ever suspected he was a spy and he had collected a variety of disguises over the years just in case word carried of a kid that fit his description who was always hanging about when gossip or news was shared. Sometimes he did manual labor as well such as helping build structures or aiding farmers drive their herds across the land. Compared to mining esoteric stones from sunup to sundown, his jobs really weren't that strenuous, and his village needed all the income it could receive for supplies if it was going to continue its existence.

Yozak knew immediately what the stones in the pentagram surrounding the man were the minute he set eyes on the scene. He recognized their familiar glow, even if he could not feel their draining power, however from the looks of their victim, it appeared the mazoku could and if he stayed within the entrapment long enough, he would eventually die.

Yozak had pondered over why he had been so quick to pick up the houseki crystals and then rush to the inn and bring back help for the man, who was not only mazkou it appeared, but of a high-ranking class, perhaps a noble, one whom it was possible went about slandering half-mazoku and destroying any shred of hope or dignity they may have to join in the Great Demon Kingdom's society. He was certain if he had been in that situation back in Big Cimaron, with one of his guards from the mines needing aid, he would have left them there to rot. Maybe the Wellers' ideals and teachings were rubbing off on him. Maybe he had somehow acquired a soft spot for mazoku who at least tolerated half-mazoku instead of outright condemning them for being what they were.

He had stayed long enough at the inn to discover who the fallen noble was: Lord Waltorana von Bielefeld, leader of the Ten Aristocrats, who had been apparently heading back to his land with his nephew who was not among the others recovered from the scene. In fact, the small boy was nowhere to be found.

Yozak had taken his leave them, the wheels in his head turning. Well, he had rescued a mazoku, an extra unpaid bonus for his recent job. He could just simply return to his village now, however he had his suspicions about who the missing nephew was and if his assumption was correct, then Conrart would never forgive him for deserting his little brother when he had been given ample opportunity to locate the abductors, who no doubt thought they would have a few good hours head start before the search party set out.

The kidnappers had been surprisingly more difficult to find than he had given them credit for. They covered their tracks pretty darn well and were especially cautious of obstacles ahead and moving as quietly as possible. It was no wonder they had grown exasperated at the kid's extreme antics.

Yozak debated whether or not it was worth the risk of a swift surprise attack to grab the kid and run away. He doubted he'd escape if he approached them that way though; not when they were awake then. He was fast, but he wasn't about to see if he could outrun the one called Falconer's knives or duck the hulking one, Hughes' gigantic fists. Even if he couldn't be harmed by the woman's, Valmira's houseki staff, he wouldn't put it pass her to have a couple of dangerous tricks up her sleeve. Besides, the kid looked like he was made out of strong stuff. He was a bit pale and pasty looking from throwing up, but he still managed to keep a sulky glare on his face aimed at his captors.

Yozak watched them start off again, only dropping out of the safety of his tree when they were a good distance away, and then settling into a low crouch before silently following, making sure to leave signs of his trail behind for others to spot and pursue.

oOoOoOo

Valmira sat herself down on the log and wondered on whether or not abducting the mazoku brat and hauling him halfway across the country's territory had been such a good decision. Not only had it brought practically the entirety of the Great Demon Kingdom's forces down upon them but the brat still found ways to get under her skin and put new emphasis on the term "demon".

"Are we there yet?"

Valmira glared at the small blond who was smirking at her impishly despite his green-ish complexion from being under the houseki crystals' influence for most of the day. Valmira had relented as everyone had settled down for the night, assuming that the child wouldn't feel well enough to utter a syllable.

The brat had more pluck than she had realized. Now, instead of screaming and carrying on, it appeared the boy had opted on a new tact to rile his captors' nerves.

"Are we there yet?" came the annoying question again.

"No," Valmira bit out, searching through her pack for the dried meat and wishing she could light a fire so she could have some hot stew instead. However that was out of the picture as that would only catch unwanted attention.

"Are we there yet?"

Valmira stopped her rummaging and glowered at the boy.

"Didn't I just tell you 'no'?" she snapped out, hearing the irritation in her voice and wishing she hadn't demonstrated how much the kid was getting to her.

"Where are we going?"

"None of your business."

"How long will it take to get there?"

"That's none of your business, either."

"Are these two men your pimps?"

"Shut up, you damn brat!" Valmira shrieked standing up, her face blazing red with anger and humiliation.

Opposite her, Hughes and Falconer guffawed heartily.

"Haha, I'm really starting to like this kid," Falconer chuckled patting Wolfram's head and pulling his hand away quickly before Wolfram had a chance it bite it.

"Think of the money, think of the money," Valmira chanted to herself as she ran her hands over her face stressed.

"You filthy humans are going to get it," Wolfram said stoutly, crossing his arms over his chest. "My mother's going to send out the guard and they're gonna catch you. Then she'll have them tie to you all to poles and lash you with her whip until your filthy human blood gushes out into pools of blood. And then my Little Big brother is gonna cut off your fingers and toes one by one with his sword before Gwendal will bury you alive with his Earth element. Then I'll have him unbury you once you're dead so my Ojiiue can burn your corpses to ash!"

"You have a vindictive grim little mind for a runt," Hughes stated, taking a swig from his canteen.

"You're uncle's _dead_, brat," Valmira said smiling in satisfaction and feeling pleasure as she watched the boy's eyes grow wide in horror and shock. "I killed him myself and I'll do the same thing to the rest of your family if they get in my way!"

What happened next, no one expected.

Wolfram leapt at her screaming bloody murder, his face a mask of unbridled fury and hatred, but most surprising were the flames shooting off from his fingertips and flaring up larger than life…

Falconer strode forward swiftly and pinched the same nerve as he had before on the boy's neck, causing the boy to the fall to the forest floor unconscious, his element dying in the air above him, imprinting bright orange-red colors into the eyes of the trio due to the darkness around them.

oOoOoOo

Yozak watched the scenario below unfold out, gripping an upper tree branch in amazement and bit of awe when he saw the blond attack his captors and actually summon up quite a good amount of his fire element before he succumbed to unconsciousness.

The kid was strong, stronger than he or the captors had realized due to their startled reactions below. To actually find enough energy to use that much maryoku when the houseki crystals had been sapping his power all day…when he grew older, Wolfram would be a very formidable opponent.

"You should have knocked him out like that a good while back, Falconer," Valmira stated, hoping she didn't appear as flustered as she felt.

She had been caught completely unawares and hadn't even thought to use her staff on the brat. Then again, she had assumed she wouldn't need to as the mazoku had been subjected to its draining influence for a long while. The woman gripped it firmly now, taking comfort in feeling its familiar presence in her hands.

"Sorry, I didn't want to stop all the fun," Falconer said, grinning lop-sided, referring to Wolfram's game of toying with Valmira's nerves.

"Think anyone heard His Royal Bratness scream?" Valmira asked.

"Well, we sure did," came a new voice from the trees directly behind the trio.

Valmira whirled about, her staff pointed in front of her aggressively and the stone on top glowing threateningly. Beside her, Hughes and Falconer too up a similar stance with their weapons.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" the woman demanded.

"Calm down, it's only me. And you should be grateful for that," said the voice as its owner stepped out from the shadows and into the crystal's light.

It was a man with olive green hair pulled back into a ponytail, dressed in forester clothes and a rug sack slung over one shoulder.

"Brackus!" Valmira exclaimed with relief and surprise, recognizing the figure and lowering her staff. "What are you doing out here in the Great Demon Kingdom?"

"I could ask you the same question and more," Brackus stated, lowering his rug sack to the ground. "Why is half the Demon Army combing these woods, why did you leave an obvious miles long trail behind you and who is the kid with you?"

"What are you talking about? We covered our tracks very well and this kid is none of your concern," Valmira spoke, motioning to Hughes to pick Wolfram up.

"Not that kid," Brackus said, his face like stone, "the one who's eavesdropping above."

_Oh damn! _Was all the coherent thought Yozak had time for before a figure unbeknownst to him on his left jumped at him and tackled him out of the tree to the forest floor below.

Before he even had time to blink, Yozak found himself face down in the dirt, his hands tied behind his back and his legs as well with the wind momentarily knocked out of him.

"Good work, Dart," he heard the man called Brackus say above him and Yozak lifted his head to view the person who had gotten the better of him.

He watched as a slighter man with spiked grayish-brown hair wearing camouflage walked-no, more like slinked-over to where Brackus stood and remained silent.

"What-what-!" Valmira sputtered, pointing at Yozak in alarm.

"You have the Great Demon Army half a day behind you, Valmira," Brackus explained, eyes narrowed showing his displeasure. "If you had stayed where you are now, you would have them stumble upon you by morning. You may have covered your tracks, but this kid here-" the man nudged Yozak with his boot "-left quite a trail of bread crumbs for them to follow. I don't know what you did to piss the mazoku off, but if it has something to do with that blond limpet over there, you could have had the decency to deal with your own problem instead of dragging Lord Jass into your mess."

"What?" Valmira said, her face displaying a mixture of bewilderment, anxiety and frustration. "Jass? What's he got to do with anything? The last I heard of him, he got cornered and gutted by Svelera's guard."

"That's the story he wanted everyone to think," Brackus said. "He's alive and he's got a profitable business running…and now thanks to you and your blundering, you put it all in jeopardy."

"I don't have the faintest idea of what you're talking about, Brackus. You better explain the facts fast. We don't have time to share our past wandering stories if the Great Demon Army really is right behind us like you say," Valmira retorted looking extremely suspicious.

"You won't make it if you try and outrun them," Brackus proclaimed, shrugging offhandedly. "It's a mass force and they're on horses, a commodity I note that you're lacking."

"Told ya we should have kept them beasts of that aristocrat instead of turning them loose," Hughes grumbled, looking gypped.

"Shut up, lubber-lip," Valmira hissed, not wanting to reveal any more information than necessary.

"Well, since you have unwittingly lured the Demon Army right to Jass' front door step, I think it's only fair you pay him a visit and give him a head's up about his forthcoming guests," Brackus remarked picking up hid rug sack and throwing it over his shoulder.

"Are you trying to intimidate me, you washed up mercenary?" Valmira inquired, arching her eyebrows incredulously. "Even if I had some shred of intuition of why keep dragging Jass into the equation, what makes you think we would do anything you say? Are you planning on brute force?"

Hughes and Falconer brandished their weapons in warning and behind Brackus, in the shadows, Dart pulled something halfway out of his clothing which glinted silver in the crystal's light.

_Maybe if I'm lucky they'll all kill each other in a crossfire_, Yozak thought from his position in the ground.

"Oh I think you'll come of your own accord, especially when it's to a location that will keep the Demon forces at bay long enough for you to slip away. Jass meant to engage the mazoku in a little bit of sparring anyway. All you three did was up the timing and place for him. Of course, you'll have to let him know what sort of game you are playing at. Protection doesn't come free, after all. Sound tempting yet?" Brackus asked.

"Let's go with his suggestion, Valmira. I don't want to end up as a skin on the wall for some demons all because you became blinded with greed and strayed from the original plan," Falconer spoke up, voicing his opinion.

"The runt's brought us nothing but trouble," Hughes put in.

"I don't recall you or Hughes complaining before, you turncoats," Valmira snapped testily, before turning back to Brackus and relenting. "Fine. I'm listening. Where is this ideal location?"

Brackus grinned, his teeth flashing white in the darkness, "Just a through the woods behind me and between two hills. It's a wonder you didn't trip over it, though I guarantee you, the Demon Army won't be as distracted as you three goons tomorrow. Follow me."

Hughes growled low in his throat at the insult.

"Just a minute. I want to deal with the little rat that's been tailing us," Valmira stated, whirling on Yozak with an aura of vengeful fury, jabbing the end of her staff until the houseki crystals were almost touching the boy's face. "This is what you get for poking your nose into other people's business, vermin. When the cavalry reaches the end of your happy trail, all they find are your remains."

The crystals began to glow and Yozak wondered when the woman realized they weren't working on him, if she would resort to messier, painful measures to finish him.

"Stop. The rat's ours. We noticed him. We caught him. We decide his fate," Brackus stated, snapping his fingers.

Yozak found himself picked up from the ground and hoisted over the man called Dart's shoulders where he hung like a sack of grain.

"You're not going soft now that you've retired from your merc days I hope, Brackus," Valmira said, sneeringly.

"I just think Lord Jass would be interested in seeing him, that's all," Brackus said and starting forward, he called over his shoulder, "And I'm not as retired as you think."

From his position looking backward, Yozak watched Hughes sling the still unconscious Wolfram over his shoulder similarly. Falconer smiled grimly when he saw the boy observing them, drew his knife across his throat and pointed at him in indication; and by the icy glare Valmira was giving him, he could tell the woman had no qualms about plotting a convenient "accident" for him.

_Well, looks like you've really stepped into this time, Gurrier, _Yozak thought, not sure whether to laugh or curse at himself for ending up in his current predicament.

He only hoped Brackus was right in his prediction of the Demon Army finding this Lord Jass's place by tomorrow sometime. He highly doubted he'd live longer than that. Who knew that his friend's little brother could cause so much trouble?

_Conrart, you owe me big time for this._

To Be Continued...

* * *

**A/N: (finishes playing game of Solitare; looks at chapter again) Hmmm, this was supposed to be the last chapter but as you can see, my muse finally woke up, got carried away with the plot and now there are too many things to fit into the final chapter and who knows how long it will take me to write the rest of the scenario I have dancing around in my head. It's already long, plus I made you guys wait two months for this so I won't punish you anymore :cries: Sorry! So what did you think of the newest development? Yes, Brackus and Dart are my own characters like Valmira, Hughes and Falconer. Who is this Jass person and what did Brackus mean when he said "Jass meant to engage the mazoku in a little bit of sparring anyway"? **

**Next chapter will have us meet Jass himself, his domain, and his plans unveiled. What will happen to Yozak and Wolfram? Only I know that…hehehehe! It'd make me extremely happy if you reviewed, especially when you tell me your favorite parts, and it inspires me to write faster! (That and I'm afraid Conrad and everyone is going to be after my hide if I don't allow them to rescue Wolfram soon…help!)**


	6. Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire

**Disclaimer:** I do not own **Kyou Kara Maou**. Tomo Takabayashi does.

**Summary: **Young Wolfram's world is thrown into chaos when his uncle Waltorana attempts to gain his custody from Celi.

**Title: Between Two Worlds**

**A/N 1: **Dart, Brackus, Jass, Valmira, Falconer, and Hughes are my OCs and are not in the KKM-canon verse. (even though Valmira, Falconer and Hughes are supposed to be the ancestors of the dragon poachers-they look and act just like them by the way).

**Ch.6 Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire**

Yozak had a very good inkling on what this mysterious Lord Jass's profitable business was the moment he laid eyes on the fortress settled snugly between two hills just as the man Brackus had said. Secure behind tall wooden stakes with one main gate as the entrance, it had the appearance of a trading facility at first glance; however, Yozak would bet that was its outward masquerade –that really, it was nothing more than a bandit outpost.

They must be very good at hiding their true colors to survive within the Great Demon Kingdom and at such close proximity to Covenant Castle, Yozak assessed shrewdly as the gate was swung open to receive its arrivals.

"Hey, Brackus, you old dog!" yelled a passerby in greeting, carrying firewood and a crossbow across his back. "You survived another raid? Me and Lonz had a bet you were going stay dead this time!"

"Sorry to lose you money," Brackus stated humorlessly in reply, never slowly his gait towards the main building ahead.

"Dart, when you going to stop hanging around this loser?" called another jokingly to the group's left where he was sharpening his knives.

Dart only nodded in recognition and followed Brackus.

_Definitely a bandit outpost, _Yozak affirmed.

If it had been a trading outpost, the men would have used "shipment" not "raid", also, he doubted traders would require so many weapons which were scattered about the inside of the fortress, even if the cargo itself was weapons; real traders did not carry their weapons so openly.

Still, if they must have been clever enough to have concealed their identity and continued their façade as a trading outpost for so long. Yozak reverently hoped the mazoku wouldn't be played as fools anymore. His life depended on it, and now that he thought about it, so did Little Lord Brat's. If worst came to worst, the prince's abductors might just decide to ditch the weight around their necks to save their own hides.

Yozak lifted his head and turned it as far as his position over Dart's shoulder allowed to try and quickly assess his surroundings before one of his captors took notice. It was imperative he to know where what was if he happened to find a way to escape. The group seemed to be headed towards a building in the center of the fort with what looked like only one entrance in or out. As they stepped over the threshold and into the dimly-lit structure, Yozak only had time for one quick glimpse of the interior contained: boxes stacked high to the ceiling, bags piled in every corner and small clusters of men all about surveying several objects which were strewn in assorted heaps.

Then Yozak found himself tossed to the hard wood floor without warning alongside a still unconscious Wolfram.

One of the men looked up from doing inventory of the stolen goods and scowled at the newcomers.

"What is that? You call that a haul, Brackus? Two fledging sparrows and their nannies? And you're Lord Jass's right hand man?! Tch!"

"Now, now, Canulf, I'm sure since it was Brackus who brought them in, he must have an excellent angle behind this surprise catch," said a voice from the shadows as a man emerged from within them and walked in a leisurely manner to where Brackus and everyone stood.

Yozak watched him approach: a man with purple locks down to his shoulders, wearing brown breeches, boots and a long-sleeved white shirt with the front unbuttoned, exposing his chest. A man in his late twenties-mid thirties perhaps: he held himself with an air of superiority and arrogance and his gait sung strong of confidence. There was no doubt in Yozak's mind this person could only be Jass.

The man stopped directly in front of where the two boys lay and smiled down at them charmingly while he assessed them like a cat eyeing a bird freshly caught between its paws, before turning his gaze onto their captors with obvious recognition.

"Ah, Valmira," Jass stated pleasantly, "now I see why I have half the Great Demon Kingdom almost upon my front gate. I should have guessed earlier!"

Jass's men laughed uproariously as their duty and Yozak rolled his eyes up as far as he could to see Valmira's pinched angry expression.

"What have you done this time, Valmira?" Jass breathed gustily, shaking his head at her. "I expect you're in a spot of trouble-as usual. Come to plead for protection-again?"

"Nice to see you again too, Jass," Valmira bit out, curling her lip, "I liked my life better when I thought you were dead."

"Life's not fair, is it? Care to explain your situation? It might persuade me to not simply throw you all out into those mazoku's eagerly waiting hands," Jass said.

"You wouldn't. I'd let the cat out of the bag of your cozy little robber's getaway here," Valmira stated, lifting her chin up confidentlyxx.

"Robber's getaway?" Jass echoed, blinking and sounding totally bewildered. "We were but humble traders doing inventory when we were violently belayed upon by a devious houseki wielder and her posse. We barely managed to overcome her with our lives intact!"

"You always were such an overdramatic actor," Valmira scoffed in distaste.

"Do try and lighten up Valmira or you'll become an old prune. I'm sorry, let me rephrase that: you'll become an old prune if I allow you to remain within the safety of this fortification. Hope that your tale doesn't bore me," Jass cautioned in the utmost seriousness, although his smile never left his face.

Realizing that Jass finally meant business, Valmira began to speak.

"We seek shelter here long enough to elude the Demon Tribe. We'll be out of your way as soon as possible. In return, I'll offer my services as a houseki wielder to aid you against the mazoku in their frontal attack, however, I'm afraid we can't stick around for the whole show."

"That's a rather vague explanation and a poor offer," Jass said, letting his disapproval ring through his voice even as he kept the folds of his mouth stretched wide in an ever-bearing grin. "I suggest you clarify your facts more, such as why you think the mazoku would attack our 'trader's guild'."

"I heard you were planning to do a little 'sparring with the mazoku' anyway," Valmira said, shooting Brackus a dirty look. "I take it that was another one of your cover ups like the false rumor of you being killed."

"Did you now?" Jass replied curiously, glancing fleetingly at Brackus also, before he and Valmira hosted a staring match, sizing the other up.

"Well, men, why don't you all go outside for a bit, eh?" Jass suggested suddenly, turning to his men who trying their best not to appear interested in their boss's conversation. "Take a break and go see if our mazoku friends are planning to assault innocent working civilians."

The filed out of the building respectively, laughing at the joke xx

"Brackus, since when has it been your nature to tell the first person who comes along our plans?" Jass inquired, raising his eyebrows at the man. "Trying to impress Valmira with your knowledge? It won't work; she thinks she is the master of the universe."

"No, that would be_ you_, O Mighty One," Valmira cut in sarcastically. "I'd like an answer now, before the mazoku draw any closer. I don't see how throwing us out will benefit you any. If you really_ are_ going to engage them in battle, you'd need some houseki-weilders unless you have a death wish."

Yozak watched as Jass smirked, walked over to the nearest sealed crate and beckoned Valmira over with his finger. Warily, the woman did so, her expression transforming into shock as the bandit-leader yanked open the top so she could view the contents within. Even from his distance away on the floor-level, Yozak could still identify the soft glow of houseki crystals emitting from it.

"What makes you think you're the only houseki-weilder here?" Jass asked, putting the lid of the crate back on top.

"You mean all these boxes—" Vamlira started issuing around to the packed room.

"Yes. As you can see we're quite prepared, although it took us some time to amount to this quantity. You can only bring the stones into the country in very small measures, otherwise the sensitive mazoku would notice," Jass explained, jumping nimbly to seat himself on top of the box.

"Now," he said, sitting cross-legged and leaning back slightly, "Perhaps if you tell us the real reason why you're here in the Demon Kingdom and have its army mercilessly trailing you, I might consider lending you protection behind these walls, although you're going to have to earn your keep. I don't host beggars you know."

"Very well," Valmira agreed, opting for a half-truth. "We three were hired in the services of Big Cimaron's king to try and start a war between the countries. Our objective was to strike off the head of the Ten Aristocrats to spur them into action. That goal has been fulfilled and we were returning for our due reward, however, it seems we picked up an unwelcome party member along the way."

Valmira sent a blasting glare directed to Yozak and Jass hopped off the box and walked over to stand above where he lay bound.

"Ara, what's this?" Jass inquired, staring down curiously at him. "Are you saying a mere mazoku whelp spoiled your carefully-laid plans? Valmira, you must be losing your touch to not realize someone was tracking you until too late."

"Shut up," Valmira ground out irritated. "If you're not going to assist us, then at least give me the pleasure of ending his wretched existence!"

"No," Jass chirped, looking positively merry at the woman's outrage. "Anyone who gets the better of you has an immediate place on my good side. I'll let him live. We'll find some use for him, I'm sure."

Yozak was caught between relief that he wasn't going to be executed any time soon and dread at what might lie ahead if the Demon Army didn't arrive shortly. What was taking them so long anyway?

"Now who might this other whelp be, eh?"

Yozak snapped his attention back to Jass who was now inspecting Wolfram closely, taking in his pale complexion, fair features and clothing, although now slightly bedraggled, was undoubtedly rich and extravagant-a far cry from his own traveler's rags. Yozak watched Jass's eyes flicker between the two of them and knew the man noticed this as well.

"Just some brat that had the misfortune to get in our way," Valmira said aloof, "We were going to take him back to Big Cimaron and sell him as a slave there. We should get a good price I imagine."

"Really? Odd that you would hang onto such baggage when you're running for your lives," Jass said turning a skeptical eye on the woman. "Why don't you tell me the_ real_ story now, Valmira? The _whole_ story."

"Would it help to know that she addressed the blond whelp as 'His Royal Bratness' when me and Dart came upon her, and that the leader of the Ten Aristocrats she was sent to kill goes-or shall I say, went-by the name of Waltorana vonBielefeld?" Brackus spoke up for the first time since entering the building.

Valmira whirled on the man, simmering in anger, but Jass pulled her back by the arm laughing.

"Haha! Of course, of course, it all makes sense now! You were greedy, weren't you, Valmira," Jass stated, putting the missing pieces of her tale together with a fiendish glee. "You completed your mission, but you weren't satisfied with the slice of payment-you wanted the whole cake, and now, look what happens when you try and steal the icing."

"Spare me the stupid metaphors, you sadistic bastard!" Valmira shouted, wrenching her arm free. "You would've done the same thing in my place!"

"Oh, but I have," Jass said, smiling at Valmira's confused expression. "You think you and your two henchmen were the only people Big Cimaron's king sent to stir up the Demon Tribe to war? You think I aim to attack the mazoku for no profit at all, when I already have assembled a peaceful and successful visage here?"

"You-you…you're working for Cimaron's king as well?" Valmira asked, startled.

"My job was to raze villages and cause chaos all over the country-side with lightning attacks. No kingdom likes the other invading without warning. Why do you think I went through all the trouble of amassing the houseki stones here? But now I'll have no chance of carrying out the king's orders, will I?" Jass inquired in a grim tone, his cheery façade dropping at last to show a dangerously serious countenance. "Not with this outpost being slowly surrounded upon by offended mazoku who are concerned about the safety of their little prince. So tell me Valmira, why should I offer you protection when you have ruined my element of surprise; ruined Big Cimaron's king's plans?"

"Why shouldn't I just kill all three of you right here and give their little prince back to them, claiming I unhanded his abductors and keep this masquerade as a trader's guild until I'm ready to attack?" Jass whispered, stepping forward closely into the woman's personal space, his eyes two dark pools of void.

Valmira was silent, her throat too constricted in shock and fear to speak or even defend herself. Falconer and Hughes stood stiffly where they were, all too aware of Dart keeping guard ominously by the entry-way. The air was so thick tension, Yozak could practically feel it crackle off his skin.

Brackus made a slight movement forward, breaking the spell.

"Luckily for you, Valmira, I'm feeling benevolent today," Jass declared gaily, slipping back into false persona once more, giving Brackus a warning stare before continuing. "Besides, who would I torment that gives half as much fun reactions as you do? In any event, you present me with a significant opportunity to turn my misfortune into wondrous success. So he's what we'll do: you'll stay here and help my houseki-weilders set up in an entrapment around the outpost. We'll go about our usual business here as if nothing out of the ordinary has occurred. We'll let the Demon Army come close until they're within the boundaries, then you tap into the crystals' energy and effectively close them off from any possible attack or escape route. My men will finish the rest of the dirty job. The mazoku will be sitting ducks and we'll be safe behind these walls."

"You—" Valmira started.

"Are a genius, yes I know," Jass declared condescendingly, leveling his gaze to her, "And don't think about giving us the slip in the midst of the squirmish and high-tailing it off out the back way. I've got your precious trump card, after all."

Jass nudged Wolfram lightly with the toe of his boot and smiled at the woman in a challenging manner, daring her to protest.

"How do I know you don't have any plans of your own about deserting and running off with the brat to collect my reward money?" Valmira inquired, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Don't judge people based on your own character, Valmira. You'll just have to trust me, I suppose."

Valmira let out an incredulous scoff and pursed her lips, knowing the situation had fallen out of her control. She gave a brief nod of her head in agreement.

"Good girl. Brackus," Jass addressed with a snap of his fingers, "take our little demon friends to one of our guestrooms and make sure it's securely warded. We can't have them running underfoot and escaping while we're setting up the stage here, can we?"

This recent development wasn't making Yozak's hopes of the Demon Army successfully rescuing them any brighter. It actually sounded as if the mazoku might lose…unless someone found a way to warn them about the houseki entrapment.

oOoOoOo

Waltorana gripped the reins of his horse tightly and tried to calm the fast paced beating of his heart. It would be no use getting excited-this very well might be a false trail. After all, it was glaringly too obvious, as if someone had _wanted_ them to follow it. His nephew's abductors may have created it and back-tracked the opposite direction. But then again, they may have been in too much of a hurry to get as far away as possible from their ambush site to bother covering up their path. The forefront expert trackers of the kingdom were arguing amongst themselves over this very same issue. So the Demon Army had to endure waiting for them to reach a unanimous conclusion before they set out in pursuit again, and Waltorana was not pleased with this delay.

He had set out from Covent Castle with the search party, which happened to be half the Demon Army's forces. Celi had wanted to use every spare regiment and soldier available, but her eldest son had convinced her they at least needed to keep half the troops to keep defending the kingdom while the royal family left for a short time.

That's right, they were all there with him: the woman he had the misfortune to be brother-in-law to and her two sons, one of which he kept one eye locked on just in case the half-human whelp took in his mind to attempt on his life again. As they all were deep in secluded woods, it would be a very convenient place for him to have a "tragic accident" and hence, put an end to their problem of him trying to tear their family apart. He was certain the Demon Army would back their Maou up on the matter even if they saw her do the deed herself. It was quite a relief when his own guards came with reinforcements from Bielefeld and joined the party.

They had started the search from where the humans had attacked the carriage and spread out in groups over various points in the surrounding forest. They had sometime later stumbled across a trail which had been stated before, was much too evident. The groups had conveyed and now it was all a matter of biding one's time until the _expert_ trackers could determine if the trail had been fabricated or not, and considering how long they had been debating, it didn't appear as if they had come any closer to a decision than when the trail had first been found.

Perhaps this had been the humans' plan all along: leave a trail so apparent that it would cause their pursuers to stop dead in their tracks in confusion to ponder if this had been deliberate and therefore give the abductors ample time to get further away. It certainly was working.

Waltorana dismounted from his horse and strode over to where the trackers were huddled in a group vehemently trying to dispute each other's opinion.

"Is there a problem on why this is taking so long?" the aristocrat asked shooting them with a most fierce-some scowl that rivaled even Gwendal's.

"Ah, Lord Bielefeld, sir!" said one of the trackers, albeit apologetically, "There's a slight oddity that has unsure—"

"It's a red herring, I tell you! This trail leads nowhere!" cut in another, "No person would leave a path so obvious unless they wanted us to waste our time following a dead end!"

"Or unless they're incredibly stupid."

"Well, these _are_ humans, after all."

"Yeah, however, these humans overwhelmed even Lord Bielefeld! Ah, no disrespect meant to you, sir!"

"What's going on?" came a new voice suddenly into the flow of conversation and Waltorana stiffened in surprise as the Weller spawn appeared suddenly right by his side.

The aristocrat moved several steps over, putting a fair distance between them. Not only did he not want any close contact with half-breeds, but for all he knew, the boy wanted another chance to stab him.

"Go away, boy," Waltorana ordered, narrowing his eyes in annoyance, "Don't bother the trackers while they're studying the vestiges."

But Conrart's eyes had grown wide as he stared at the trail which had been distinctly clear-cut and a small pile of twigs on the ground centered around a small pale rock…

"Ah, that's Yozak's-" Conrart exclaimed excitedly, turning and calling, "Mother! Gwendal! Come see! Yozak left us a trail to follow!"

In the space of the next several minutes, Waltorana learned that Yozak was 1) the Weller spawn's friend, 2) another half-breed (joy), and 3) apparently, he had somehow come across the humans and was marking a path to lead others to them.

"It is Yozak's sign!" Conrart declared firmly when Waltorana had voiced his doubts, "He always leaves Boneys to show that he's been there!"

Well, now that Waltorana thought about it, the small pale rock could possibly be a Boney's head and the twigs could be the wings…

Conrart smiled at the marker, remembering when he and his father had first brought Yozak to the Great Demon Kingdom from Big Cimaron. Yozak had never seen a Boney before and probably never even imagined anything like them in all his craziest daydreams. He had been very apprehensive in the beginning, but soon after, he had taken to them with sort of an amused fascination.

"_Look! I made a Boney!" Yozak stated proudly, pointing to his sprawling messy handiwork on the ground._

_Conrart laughed, "It looks more like a giant upturned spider with legs!"_

"_It's a Boney!" Yozak repeated stubbornly, clenching his hands into fists as he glared at his friend. "See? The rock is its head and the twigs are its wings! From now on, this will be our sign. If either of us ever gets lost, we'll find each other by following these signs!"_

"Mother, we have to follow these! Wherever Yozak is, Wolfram is too!" Conrart implored to Celi urgently.

Celi nodded curtly and issued commands for the mazoku to proceed forward and be on the lookout for any more Boney markers.

"Does your friend have red hair, by any chance?" Waltorana asked on an inkling.

"Yes," Conrart said, confused, "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," Waltorana replied dryly, walking back to his horse.

When this whole affair was over, he would be sure to compensate his rescuer, who it seemed had some sort of fetish for saving mazoku.

That and he really didn't want to be indebted to a half-breed for very long.

oOoOoOo

Yozak cast a scrutinizing eye about the surroundings he and Wolfram had been holed up in. Guest room indeed. It was nothing more than a closet-space empty storage room. Well, nothing to it, he had to find someway out it and the outpost. He had to tell the mazoku about what lay in store for them. Taking his shoe off, he pulled out a piece of wire, and smirked triumphantly.

"That guy thinks he so smart. Stupid man didn't even check me for weapons. Well, that's one benefit of being a kid: grown-ups always under-estimate you," Yozak told himself as he hurried over to the door and tested it with a push.

It was locked. Of course, they may be stupid, but they weren't _that_ stupid.

"Ah, time to get a work," Yozak said, whistling a merry tune as he fiddled the wire around in keyhole.

"A-a-aah," came a muffled moan behind him and Yozak turned to see Wolfram stirring for the first time since the forest.

"Hey, chibi, you finally get enough beauty sleep?" he called over his shoulder as continued jiggling the lock.

Wolfram blinked several times and slowly sat up, shaking his head as if clear it from a daze. Finally getting the room into focus, he took one look around…and burst into tears.

"Hey, don't do that! They'll hear you and come see what the ruckus is all about!" Yozak cried panicked, dropping his lock-pick and rushing over to the boy.

"Come on, cut it out!" he said, squatting down near him and eyeing the door in trepidation.

What the heck were you supposed to do when a kid started crying uncontrollably anyway?

"Um, there, there?" Yozak tried his best at comforting, patting the small boy on the back.

But Wolfram could not be consoled. The small blond sat there on the floor and wailed louder than anything Yozak had ever heard in his entire life, bawling his eyes out, his face a puffy cherry red with leakage dribbling from his nose.

"Look, don't worry. I'm gonna get us out, okay?" Yozak said, guessing perhaps the kid was only frightened. "But you have to stop crying. It'll only work if we keep quiet."

"I…WANT…MY…_OJ-J-J-JIIUE!!!_" Wolfram screamed, managing to get the sentence out between shaky deep gulps of air.

"You'll get to see him again, I promise! Just calm down and be quiet!" Yozak yelled, vaguely realizing that he wasn't helping things by having a shouting match.

"NO, I WONT! I WONT! HE'S DEAD! THEY K-K-KILLED HIM!" Wolfram squalled, rubbing his eyes hard with small fists.

Ah, so that's what it was.

"No they didn't. I saved him. Your uncle's alive, kid, so don't be messing up your cute face anymore," Yozak explained.

Thankfully, Wolfram stopped crying and gazed at him with watery red-rimmed eyes.

"Oj-jiiue's al-alright?" Wolfram sniffled, unsure of the truth.

"Completely. Just a little worn out, that's all. He's resting back at some inn," Yozak said relieved that the kid had quieted down, and then tensed as the boy's mouth turned downward into a pout.

"Who are you?" Wolfram demanded, glaring suspiciously at him.

"Yozak Gurrier, Conrart's friend," Yozak answered, hoping that would show the kid he was on his side. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get out of here before we're shipped off to Big Cimaron."

Yozak returned to the storage room's door and proceeded to fiddle with the lock once again, aware of the younger boy eyeing him warily.

"You know Little Big Brother?" came a small voice finally.

"Yup. We're the best of buds. What, he yabbers my ear off about his adorable baby brother, but he's never told you about me? I'm hurt, really hurt," Yozak stated mockingly.

There was a tiny _click_ as the wire turned the mechanism inside the lock and the door swung a crack open.

"Aha!" Yozak cried softly in success, pushing it open a bit further to take a peak outside.

The storage room appeared to be in the interior of a deserted part of another building. There were no guards to be seen. Apparently, the bandits hadn't thought they would actually escape.

"Right, come on, kid," Yozak whispered, beckoning for Wolfram to follow, "We're busting out."

There was no noise of any movement behind him and Yozak turned to see Wolfram huddled in the farthest corner of the storage room, arms wrapped tightly around his knees which he had pulled to his chest, and shivering slightly.

"Hey, what's wrong? There's no need to be scared. I'll protect you," Yozak said, hurrying over to shake the boy into action.

When he touched Wolfram's arm, he was disturbed at how cold it felt and noticed how the boy's skin had turned a several shades paler, and how he was breathing as if he had run a ten mile lap.

"Hey, you're not sick, are you?" Yozak asked worriedly.

"It-It _hurts_," Wolfram whimpered, scrunching up his eyes as if in pain.

Yozak couldn't see anything that was physically hurting the boy, unless…

He strode back over to door and stepped outside to look at from the front. Oh, well, that explained it then.

The door was strung up from head to foot with dozens of glowing houseki crystals; they even extended to the doorway's archway.

That's right; the bandits had thought they had caught two _full-blood_ mazoku. No wonder they hadn't posted any guards. In the past two days he could have sworn he had seen more esoteric rocks than he ever had back in Big Cimaron. Well, he could always cut them down, but that would take up more time than they had available. He glanced over to Wolfram who hadn't budged an inch and sighed. The kid really wasn't going to like this.

Wolfram howled angrily when Yozak grabbed him by the wrist and hauled him to his feet. Apparently if you moved, the crystals affected you worse.

"Close your mouth, chibi and hop on," Yozak ordered, turning around and pulling the younger boy onto his back. "Sorry, but you're gonna have to bear through the worst for little while."

When Wolfram realized Yozak was headed for the door and that every step forward to it caused the pain to increase, the boy shrieked shrilly and yanked harshly on Yozak's hair.

"YEEEOOW!" Yozak yelped, staggering sideways a little. "Be a little more grateful, kid! I'm the one getting us out, you know!"

Passing the threshold of the door was the worst. Wolfram screamed and convulsed violently, finally slumping over Yozak's back still as a dead weight, as if he had been through the wringer.

"Hey, you still alive back there, chibi?" Yozak asked, hurrying away from the houseki-riddled door as fast a possible.

"I'm…gonna tell…my bro-ther…on you," Wolfram threatened through sluggish lips as he feebly punched the back of Yozak's head.

Yozak laughed, adrenalin rushing through him as he sped towards the exit of the building. This was it! They were escaping! Jass had made reference to a "back way" out. They could slip out that way, circle around the outpost and meet the Demon Army before they stepped into the boundaries of the houseki entrapment. And he could tell them about Bid Cimaron's king's plans for inciting war, and he'd be a hero, and they'd give his village special status and a stable income!

Bright sunlight splashed upon his face as he raced out of the building into the open, his heart beating excitedly…

"Ah, I thought so," came voice which sent chills down his spine with its icy coolness.

Yozak halted in his tracks and turned his head slowly to his left, his chest heaving wildly.

Jass stood leaning against the building, arms crossed and smiling superciliously at him, as if he had just won a victory.

"I was beginning to wonder if my previous assumption had been mistaken and you really were a full mazoku after all. Did the little one give you trouble? You took longer than I expected to break out."

It had been planned out. Everything. He hadn't been checked for weapons because Jass had suspected he did possess them. The houseki crystals warding the storage room hadn't been set up there to keep them in but as a test to determine if they or at least he was a full blood. The "back way" had been mentioned in front of him because that's where Jass had wanted him to head when he had broken out. Was the whole houseki entrapment ploy merely a fabrication too?

Jass was more cunning than he had given him credit for.

Yozak opened his mouth but no sound came out. He could only gape soundlessly at the man at a loss of what to do.

"Speechless, are we? I do have that affect on people," Jass laughed, "Now, why don't you come with me somewhere less conspicuous until the mazoku make their grand entrance."

Yozak took a step backwards, intending to run, just where he didn't know-but collided into someone else instead.

Dart made no movement to grab him, only gazed down with a countenance that was frightening with its blank expression.

"Come, don't make this more difficult than this is. I'll be nice: you can come on your own and I'll let you keep an eye on the little one, otherwise you two will be separated. I'll even explain everything to you. How can you resist that offer?" Jass waved at him in an amused manner.

He couldn't. Besides, there was no other option at the moment.

Yozak trudged after the bandit leader with Wolfram awake but silent riding on his back, feeling as if his feet were full of lead, aware of Dart following closely behind him.

Escaping had just gotten a lot more complicated than before.

oOoOoOo

"The markers end here," one of the trackers explained to the royal family the reason why the procession had stopped.

"It appears there was some sort of scuffle," another said, pointing to an area in the grass

that was more disturbed than the area around it.

"And it looks as if they were joined by two more people," said a third tracker as he indicated to a faintly visible trail coming out from between two trees into the small clearing.

"They took off in a northern direction with all haste. I assume they caught the person tagging them and were notified about our position behind them," voiced the fouth tracker.

Conrart bit his lower lip as he scrunched his eyebrows in worry about the well-being of his friend.

"We estimate they're only about half a day's distance in front of us. Don't worry, they're on foot. We'll catch up to them in a matter of hours," put in the fifth tracker.

Waltorana's face twisted into an irritated grimace at the news. A matter of hours was not good enough. Who knew what the humans were capable of doing in desperation.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" called a soldier exiting from the trees and returning to the main body of mazoku.

The soldier rushed over to Celi where Waltorana could see upon closer inspection it was one of the scouts sent ahead of the procession.

"What is it? Have you found something?" Celi asked sharply.

"Your Majesty, we didn't catch sight of the humans, however, they appear to be headed in the direction of a trading outpost not far from here," the scout said, giving his report.

"Trading outpost?" Celi repeated surprised, "Did you see it?"

"No, Your Majesty, it's still a couple of leagues from here but we came across the road that leads to it and it's a well-known facility for travelers in this region. It is likely that the humans will try and gain shelter and protection there."

Waltorana felt as swell of elation at those words. At last, a pin-pointed destination. Just a little bit more and then the arrogant humans who had dared steal from him would be dealt a swift and painful retribution.

oOoOoOo

"Sit," Jass proffered to a chair inside the guardhouse where he had led them, taking his own seat at a table.

There was only one chair left unoccupied. Yozak lowered Wolfram off his back into it and remained standing. Glancing sideways out of his eye, he noted that Dart had taken up position at the door.

"I expect you're wondering just what angle I'm playing at, yes?" Jass mused, resting his chin in one hand.

Yozak nodded warily.

"Its a little game I like to call 'double-crossing'," Jass explained, the corners of his mouth lifting up into that familiar, annoying smile again. "It's quite fun. What you do is you play either side against each other while making everyone believe you are on their team. Then you banter back forth to the highest bidder until the tide turns and to win, I'm afraid cheating's involved. That's when you create a distraction and slip out of the fray before both sides realize they've been betrayed. In the end, if you aren't weighed down by a superfluous conscious of guilt, the profits you take away are most worth it."

"So…you're not working for Big Cimaron's king?" Yozak asked, trying to understand the flow of Jass's logic.

"Tsk, didn't you hear a word of what I said?" Jass reproached. "Of course, I'm working for Big Cimaron: I'm getting paid a hefty sum to entangle with these mazoku. Most dishonest men would find that substantial enough for them, but I like to go one step further. I like to see just how far I can push my luck."

Yozak waited, still not seeing where Jass was headed with the conversation.

"There's going to be a skirmish here in a little bit. As you know, I think the odds are in our favor as your mazoku allies tend to be not at their best when confronted with houseki crystals. My priority right now is to ensure our side is victorious. Of course after that, we won't be able to stay in the country for very long. Mazoku will want vengeance of course. But we will have obtained our main objective: rouse and incite the Great Demon Kingdom to war. And with half their forces depleted, I think Big Cimaron's king will agree I did my end of the bargain more than adequately. So you see, Valmira's little mishap worked out splendidly for me in the long run. I must thank you for your presence, Little Prince," Jass said, mock-bowing to Wolfram. "I couldn't have done in without you."

Yozak saw the younger boy's lip tremble dangerously and his eyes water suspiciously, however Wolfram did not cry or throw a tantrum, only gripped his fists tightly together and refused to give any further reaction.

"Alright, I get the message you think you're a brilliant strategist," Yozak said, trying to sway Jass's attention away from Wolfram. "But I didn't hear anything about double-crossing in that boast of yours."

Jass leaned back in his chair…and smiled. Yozak was really getting sick of seeing that man smile.

"That just proves my point. People think too small. They can't see the larger picture. Oh, we'll win and I'll take the little prince over to Big Cimaron in the aftermath and receive a double reward. The double-crossing comes next. Unfortunately, some mazoku will have slipped within the borders and snatched their little prince back and have snuck him out of the kingdom. Naturally, the king will have lost his chess piece for war. I offer myself to the king to regain the prince before the rogue mazoku reach the Demon Kingdom. Of course, I'll need down payment for my services. What the king won't know is I planned the whole set up and filled my pockets fuller than the bounty foretold. I will be found out, naturally, but I'll have slipped away beforehand. Maybe I'll take my earnings and go somewhere else to start the game anew. Then again, maybe I'll gamble further and return here to tell the mazoku Cimaron's 'new plans of invasion', for a heft sum of course."

Yozak stared at the man in a sort of morbid fascination. Just reflecting on what had been revealed to him was making his head whirl. This guy was so, so _twisted_! How do people go about imagining a plan that warped anyway? Did he spend every night scheming up ways to add yet another ploy onto his list of mad gambles?

But more importantly…

"Why are you telling me all of this? Why are you even taking the time to explain this top-secret plan of yours to your prisoners?" Yozak inquired frowning. "I thought captors were supposed to keep their victims in the dark."

"I thought it would be amiable to share my confessions to another of my kind. I don't get to see them very often, not as young as you," Jass stated watching Yozak closely waiting for the message to sink in.

"You're, you're…you're half-mazoku too?" Yozak asked in disbelief, his eyes widening in shock.

"Yes and so is Dart over there," Jass said, indicating to the man standing guard by the door, "That's why I haven't sent him away while I spilled my story. Of course, the rest of the men here are normal humans. Normally, they would get in my way, but they're quite useful when it comes to handling the houseki crystals, so I have to put up with them for awhile."

"But if you're half-mazoku why are you working for Big Cimaron? They enslave half-mazoku over there! How can you be in service for someone who allows that?!" Yozak yelled angrily, memories of his life back in the esoteric mines surfacing.

"Only if they _know_ you're half-mazoku," Jass said, holding up a finger to emphasize the point. "You stay in one place long enough and people will notice you're not aging properly along with the rest of them. As a bandit, I tend to move around a lot, and keep my face and identity hidden. As far as the king knows, I'm just an ordinary human engaged with the task of rousing up the 'evil demons' into war to receive my paycheck."

"How, how can you fight against your own kind though? You're part mazoku too! You should feel more loyalty towards them than for humans!" Yozak accused, a hot rage welling in his chest.

"Loyalty? Ha!" Jass scoffed, throwing back his head and laughing. "What makes you think I'm loyal to either side? Me, myself, comes first. Whoever dishes out the money, that's who I temporarily form a truce with."

"Besides…" Jass said, his voice shifting gravely as he stared piercingly into Yozak's eyes. "The mazoku aren't all too fond of their half-breed brethren either, are they?"

Yozak adverted his gaze, his cheeks flushing in shame as Jass presented him with the truth of the matter.

"Yes, that's reality for you," the man said, his face devoid of all emotion. "You come over here looking for a better life than the one you left behind only to discover things aren't much different. What's worst? Being enslaved or having your dream shattered into pieces?"

Yozak stared back, the fire in his chest dimming down and replaced with an empty numbness.

"I was rather hoping you would want to join me and Dart. That's the main reason I told you all this. What do you say? Shake off the dust of this country, their high and mighty full-blooded patronizing, biased prejudices and you can be free," Jass offered, his eyes taking on a wild gleam. "No kingdom to tie you down, just you, yourself doing whatever you desire, going wherever you please."

Yozak's mind reeled in confusion. He could be free? He thought he was free. He was no longer enslaved in Big Cimaron. The Great Demon Kingdom was not what he had imagined it to be. The land had certainly not welcomed the half-mazoku with open arms, but it hadn't drive them away either. And yet…he had always felt as if he never quite belonged. He had wanted his circumstances to change, he just hadn't known how. Was it as simple as Jass proclaimed it to be?

No…

"You're right in a way," Yozak said. "Things won't ever change unless you decide to do from within."

"What?" Jass said, startled at the reply. It wasn't the one he had been expecting.

"If you always avoid the problem, how will it ever get resolved? You can claim you're free by wandering about and doing whatever you want, but isn't that just saying you have no purpose in life?" Yozak inquired, boldly voicing his opinion. "Don't you want to try and change our status and how we are looked down upon by demonstrating that half-mazoku can create a stable working environment and coexist peacefully with the rest of civilization? If we all had the same mindset as you, we'd only be proving everyone right that half-breeds were a bunch of shiftless idle wastrels. You're setting a very bad example!"

"Bad example? _Bad example?!_" Jass exclaimed hotly, leaping up from his seat, slamming a fist on the table, and Yozak realized he had touched a nerve with the man.

"Do you actually think the mazoku are watching and waiting for some sort of sign that the half-breeds have advanced to give them the go-ahead to join their society?" Jass raged. "The only reason they allow our kind in the country is to recruit us for war when the time comes! We're their safe-guard. Their shield. The ones they'll put on the front lines against the majutsu users because we won't be affected. _The ones who will die first to prove their loyalty!_"

Jass's chest was rising and falling rapidly after he had finished his rant and the man glared at the boy with a crazed look in his eyes that made Yozak truly fearful for the first time in the man's presence. Jass looked…_unhinged._

A sharp knock came at the door.

Dart looked at Jass for confirmation and Jass nodded curtly.

The door was opened to reveal Brackus who spoke only two words: "They're here."

Yozak's heart was pounding wildly in his chest as he heard those words. _They're here. _No, no, no, the mazoku couldn't be here yet. He hadn't escaped yet to warn them about the trap, about how deranged and capable of vengeance Jass was. What should he do? What _could_ he do?

Jass stood up, his cool temperament seeming to have returned, but by the way the man strode towards the door with a stiff and tense manner proved he was still inflamed over the past recent conversation.

"Now you'll soon see how easily your precious mazoku fall prey to something as small and simple as a stone," Jass declared, halting by the doorway. "In the meantime, stop deluding yourself. You'll never fit in with them. One day the mazoku are going to put you in a position you can't say no to. One day they'll betray your trust, simply because of what you are."

The sound of the door closing was as if someone had shut the lid to his own coffin, sealing his doomed fate.

oOoOoOo

Jass watched behind the fortress's walls as the Great Demon Army slowly made their way into view.

"Are the houseki stones in place?" he asked loftily, arms crossed as he surveyed the scene.

"We've placed them in about a one mile radius around the outpost," Valmira replied, eyes narrowed. "I do hope you realize that it won't contain _all _their number. The mazoku are not going to send all their forces in without asserting the situation. At best, it probably won't even entrap half. Maybe one-third if we're lucky."

"One-third of them wiped out will be more than sufficient enough," Jass stated. "And I hope for your sake that you were not brainless enough to forget to set up the crystals around this fort's foundations also. We wouldn't want anymore unwelcome visitors."

"I'm not as incompetent as some of your half-wit lugs," the woman spat irritated, desperately wishing she could physically retaliate.

"Ah, mazoku," Jass breathed, shading his eyes with his hands to view their oncoming procession. "How the proud and mighty shall fall…caught between a rock and a hard place."

oOoOoOo

"So what do you think, Gwendal?" Celi asked her eldest son as she shrewdly assessed the trading outpost which lay before her set securely between two hills. "Are they innocent and merely took in a group of travelers not knowing their true identities or…"

"Is it a trap?" Gwendal finished, frowning deeply in indecision.

"Even if it was a trap, what chance has a trader's guild stand against our numbers?" Waltorana declared, his hazel Bielefeld eyes shining in an icy cold furor. "They'll render Wolfram and those filthy humans over to us or they'll be proclaimed traitors to the Great Demon Kingdom! Mazoku aiding humans—it's deplorable!"

Conrad took the barb against humans without flinching, and although he had a different opinion about humans, when situations like this arouse, he could understand why such hatred was justified. It almost made him ashamed to part of the human race.

A hand fell on his shoulder and Conrad looked up to see Gwendal beside him.

"Humans aren't the only ones that do bad things," his brother said quietly. "Remember that."

Conrad nodded, feeling a warm glow spread throughout him…then gasped as he saw the trading outpost's gates open.

"Mother, look!" he cried, pointing, as two figures came out and stood in the entrance waiting expectedly.

"What are they—?" Celi inquired.

"It looks like they want to talk," Gwendal stated grimly.

oOoOoOo

"Do you think this is wise to open the gates like this?" Brackus asked, voicing his concern as he took his place next to the bandit leader in the entrance.

"Call it deception, Brackus," Jass said. "They were loitering about and not coming any closer. Obviously they were unsure where we stood in our loyalties. Now we put on our innocent façade and draw them near. They won't be able to resist an opportunity like this."

"We still won't be able to entrap all their number. When they realize the situation—"

"They will be unable to do anything to aid their ensnared comrades and will either standby helplessly or rush off to warn the kingdom and try to find assistance. Ironic, isn't it?" Jass said, giving a twisted maniacal laugh. "The only ones who will be able to help them are those half-breeds they so love to shun! Hahaha!"

"The plan is still in motion then?" Brackus inquired. "Will it still function? Trying to slip out the back way during the skirmish and avoid detection will prove more difficult now with Valmira and—"

"Don't be ridiculous, Brackus," Jass scoffed, cutting him off effectively. "Valmira is going to have quite the unfortunate accident before the day is out."

"Accident?" Brackus echoed.

"Such a pity," Jass said, turning to look his right-hand man directly in the face. "A promising houseki wielder taken down before she reached her full potential. Well, Big Cimaron's king shouldn't be all that sad. One less cut to pay off, eh?"

Brackus was silent.

"And now, the game commences," Jass breathed softly watching as a handful of mazoku began approaching the open gateway. "Brackus, go and tell Canulf to be ready to charge up the crystals on my signal."

Brackus nodded once and was gone, departing silently, nothing more than a grim shadow hugging the walls of the fort.

oOoOoOo

Yozak stood inside the guardhouse, his entire body seized up with fear and indecision as his mind raced wildly flinging options, any option as a means to get away and warn the mazoku before it was too late.

There were no windows—he couldn't break through something that didn't exist. The only way out was the door. He was sure he could pick the mechanism and unlock it like he had back in the storehouse, but Dart, the tall, silent knife-thrower was guarding it from the outside. He had heard Jass order the man to do so. He could still take his chances though and try to run…but Dart was quick, cold and calculating. He had proved that by sneaking up on him in the trees and catching him off-guard. Yozak hadn't even heard him coming. He had all but alienated any good graces he had had before in Jass's eyes by siding with the mazoku. Even if he did manage to get past Dart, he wouldn't get far, and he suspected he would end up face first on the ground with a dagger sticking out of his back. And who, who then would look after Wolfram?

He could practically feel Conrart's disapproving narrowed gaze upon him.

Yozak ran his hands through his hair in frustration as he licked his dry lips nervously. At every angle he looked at it, this situation seemed hopeless.

Behind him, Wolfram let out a small strangled whimper. The poor kid was probably worried about his family out there no doubt, since he had appeared not to be as overly concerned about his current predicament as a hostage before.

"It'll be alright, you'll see," Yozak said, trying to comfort the kid as much as himself with his words. "I'll get us out of this mess somehow and by this time tomorrow we'll be at the castle feasting at a huge banquet for your safe return!"

But Wolfram only stared at him wide-eyed with an expression akin to horror as if truly seeing him for the first time in a new light, his face a nasty pasty white and spoke one single word in a choked whisper:

"Half-breed."

Yozak blinked. Had the kid not noticed he had to have been one to get them out of that houseki-infested cell before? Why was he staring at him with such fear-filled and disgusted eyes?

"You're…you're…you're half-human!" Wolfram cried his voice high-pitched and shrill, laced thickly with contempt.

"Nice of you to notice, chibi," Yozak said wryly, a mask of cool indifference dropping over his face; a force of habit any time he was subjected to unfair prejudice of his race.

It appeared Little Lord Brat had been taught in the usual manner and mindset concerning half-mazkoku. He had thought with Conrart being his brother, the kid would be different. Wait…did this mean the kid had no idea about Conrart's origins then?

There was a loud scuffle outside at the door suddenly and then a hollow-sounding _thud,_ like that of a body hitting the floor outside, and then the door swung open on its hinges.

For one wonderful, glorious moment, Yozak thought that something had befallen Jass's plans terribly wrong and the mazoku had overtaken them and had come to their rescue…then his sight was filled with image of Brackus peering in and motioning for them to come out.

"Hurry," the man said, glancing over his shoulder fleetingly.

Yozak wondered what Jass wanted with them now. Was he going to hold Wolfram at sword-point until the mazoku surrendered their weapons? That was a grim thought but he wouldn't put the idea past the man. He was ruthless after all. But why had Brackus needed to knock Dart unconscious then if he was following his leader's orders?

"Quickly, come out and follow me," Brackus repeated in a dangerous tone that boded ill for them if they did not do as he said.

Yozak decided not to question him. Besides, he had been seeking a way out and now it was present before him. And if needs be, he had a better chance of getting away from Brackus than he did with Dart. He nodded and approached Wolfram, who promptly leaped off the chair he was sitting in and started hurling objects nearest to him at his head.

"_Stay away from me, half-breed!"_

Yozak growled low in his throat, dodged the projectile missiles and tackled the kid around his waist, driving them both onto the floor.

"Let go! Let go of me, half-breed! Don't touch me with your filthy human hands!" Wolfram howled, as he flailed his fists down in a rain of blows upon any unprotected part of his body.

"Shut up, you ungrateful little guttersnipe!" Yozak swore, catching the kid's hands and pinning his arms up above his head. It looked as if he might have to bind and gag him if he was going to ruin their unexpected escapade by screaming bloody murder.

However, his actions had only made things worse, for then Wolfram caught him in the gut with a wicked kick and Yozak's grip on him was shaken off as he doubled over wheezing.

Brackus's patience had run paper-thin it seemed, as the man strode forward, grabbed Wolfram by the scruff of his collar and hauled him bodily up kicking and shrieking then did the same to Yozak and shook them both roughly until they dangled limp and silent from the man's hold like two chickens with their necks caught tight.

"Now we are going to leave swiftly and silently without any more theatrics, do you understand?" Brackus hissed in a voice that gave no leeway for argument and Yozak and Wolfram's heads bobbed up and down in mutual agreement.

Brackus dropped them heavily on their feet and motioned them to go through the door first.

"Move out in front now, where I can see you," he said, watching them carefully.

Stepping gingerly over Dart's body, the two did as they were told without a fuss, and rubbing his bruised collarbone, Yozak couldn't help but wonder if they had fallen out of the frying pan and into the fire.

To Be Continued…

**A/N 2: Alright, Author's Apology here: I know I left everyone hanging for more than a year now. I am most profoundly sorry. For what it's worth, I **_**did **_**actually have 18 pages finished last November, but I'm sort of in confusion of what happened. I don't know if I would call it Writer's Block so much as I knew what to write but just **_**couldn't, **_**plus the fact that I ended up somehow taking a year hiatus from KKM. (I blame Kuroshitsuji and Pandora Hearts…and Eyeshield 21…and my friend and beta for getting sucked into the angst-filled universe that is CLAMP, dragging me along for the ride and getting me hyped up back on my old X/1999 and Tsubasa crush, and real life, I blame that too). But mostly, I blame myself for not updating this story sooner even when I received several PMs wondering about it. It was laziness on my part mostly, the honest truth. Nevertheless, I hope this chapter was worth the long unexpected wait and you review anyway. I will try and answer all your questions that you may have and reply to each review. I know I have a bad habit of keeping silent, but my beta has taught me that if you reply to people, they tend to stick around and review again, haha. Now on the event of this chapter:**

**Jass and Yozak ended up hogging the spotlight, yeesh! Jass kept evolving from some random bandit into some warped vengeance-filled half-mazoku and to quote Yozak, "How twisted **_**is**_** this guy?!" Even I don't know. I hadn't meant for the whole racist half-mazoku plotline to enter the story but it did. My muse got away from me and changed details in the storyline yet again. Poor Wolfram was woefully pushed into the background as were Waltorana and the rest. But hey, Yozak got his chance to shine, yay! But why is Brackus, Jass's right-hand man, helping Yozak and Wolfram, you wonder? Is he really helping them, that is the question. Do feel free to speculate and post your opinion on the matter in your review.**

**If you must know, once again, this chapter was supposed to be longer and I wanted to finish off the whole kidnapping deal here, but I really need (well want is a better term) some feedback from you guys. I've known who Jass is and his agenda for a whole year and everyone else has been in the dark. I'd like to hear your response to him before I start the final chapter. (I say final but who knows, it may be two more chapters before the end, gah). So please, share with me your thoughts on the character interaction, their personalities, the scenes you enjoyed, and what you expect to happen next. Thank you! I hope you enjoyed reading so far!**


End file.
